Sri Lanka: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 6,463,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 1,933,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 29.91% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | 167,000 | | Primary Forest, % total forest | 8.64% | | Primary Forest, % total land | 2.58% | | Other wooded land (ha) | - |
Sri Lanka : Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 100% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 0% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
Sri Lanka: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | 167,000 | 8.6% | | Modified natural (ha | %) | 1,571,000 | 81.3% | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | - | - | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 171,000 | 8.8% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | 24,000 | 1.2% |
Sri Lanka: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 2,350,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 2,082,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 1,933,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (26,800) | -1.14% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (29,800) | -1.43% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (417,000) | -17.74% | | Change in rate (%) | 25.51% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | 257,000 | | Primary 2000 (ha) | 197,000 | | Primary 2005 (ha) | 167,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (6,000) | -2.33% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (6,000) | -3.05% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (90,000) | -35.02% | | Change in rate (%) | 30.46% | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | - | | Other 2000 (ha) | - | | Other 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | #DIV/0! | | Change in rate (%) | #DIV/0! | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | 242,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 221,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 195,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (2,100) | -0.87% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (5,200) | -2.35% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (47,000) | -19.42% | | Change in rate (%) | 171.15% | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 2,108,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 1,861,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 1,738,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (24,700) | -1.17% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (24,600) | -1.32% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (370,000) | -17.55% | | Change in rate (%) | 12.81% |
Sri Lanka: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | 167,000 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 167,000 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 2.58% |
Sri Lanka: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 92.5% | | Private (%) | 7.5% | | Other (%) | - | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | - | | Private (%) | - | | Other (%) | - | | Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | 8.8% | | Protection (%) | 1.0% | | Conservation (%) | 28.9% | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | 61.3% | | None of Unknown (%) | - |
Sri Lanka: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | 0.00% | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | - | | Other (ha) | 0.00% |
Sri Lanka: Protected areas
| Protected areas | | Biosphere reserves, 2005 | 3 | Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 | 3 | | World Heritage sites, 2004 | 7 | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land | 9.6% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land | 6.39% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 | 3.33% | | Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 | 0.00% |
Sri Lanka: Biodiversity - Wildlife
| Amphibians | | total species | 66 | | endemic species | 40 | | threatened species | 44 | | Birds | | total species | 381 | | endemic species | 31 | | threatened species | 16 | | Mammals | | total species | 123 | | endemic species | 12 | | threatened species | 21 | | Reptiles | | total species | 181 | | endemic species | 80 | | threatened species | 8 | | Wildlife diversity | | total species | 751 | | endemic species | 163 | | threatened species | 89 |
Sri Lanka: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | 932 | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 78 | | Endangered | 73 | | Vulnerable | 129 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | 3314 | | Number endemic | 890 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 280 |
Sri Lanka: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | 64 | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | 15 | | Dead wood (M t) | 9 | | Total (M t) | 88 | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | 32 | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | 8 | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | 4 | | Carbon in litter (M t) | 4 | | Soil carbon (M t) | - | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | -981 | | 2000-2005 | -1,038 | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | -0.16 | | 2000-2005 | -0.19 | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 763 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 5,879 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 6,642 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | 16 | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | $45,796,000 | | Wood fuel (US$) | $35,484,000 | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | $81,280,000 | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $42 | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | 6,000 |
Sri Lanka : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 5,774 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 5,774 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 694 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 634 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 61 | | Imports | 16 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 77 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 22 | | Imports | 3 | | Exports | 3 | | Consumption | 22 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 21 | | Imports | 9 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 30 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 25 | | Imports | 50 | | Exports | 5 | | Consumption | 70 |
|
|
Sri Lanka: Environment
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | | Natural hazards | occasional cyclones and tornadoes |
Sri Lanka: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 13.86%
permanent crops: 15.7%
other: 70.44% (2001) | | Natural resources | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower |
Sri Lanka: Economy
| Economy - overview: | In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2003, plantation crops made up only 15% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate of about 5.5% in the 1990s, but 2001 saw the first contraction in the country's history -1.4%, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to 5% between 2002 and 2005. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East. They send home about $1 billion a year. The struggle by the Tamil Tigers of the north and east for a largely independent homeland continues to cast a shadow over the economy. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300 missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5 billion worth of property. | | GDP - per capita | $4,300 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 4.7% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 17.7%, industry: 27.1%, services: 55.2% (2005 est.) | | Industries | rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, and banking; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco | | Economic aid - recipient | $577 million (1998) | | Debt - external | $11.59 billion (2005 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | 22% (1997 est.) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 38%, industry 17%, services 45% (1998 est.) |
Sri Lanka: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 20,064,776 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 0.79% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 309.9 | | Percent rural (2003) | 79.0% | | Median age (years) | total: 29.44 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 1.85 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data) |
Largest Cities in Sri Lanka
Cities and urban areas in Sri Lanka with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Colombo | Sri Lanka | 784900 | 2409000 |
| Jaffna | Sri Lanka | 162000 | 162000 |
| Kandy | Sri Lanka | 152200 | 152200 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
|
|
|
