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Image: Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/picture alliance Image: Pradeep Dambarage/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, close to India. There are three main demographic groups among the country's almost 23 million people: Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian President Droupadi Murmu

Sri Lanka walks a tightrope between India and China

Sri Lanka walks a tightrope between India and China

Sri Lankan President Dissanayake is navigating a complex geopolitical landscape shaped by China's growing influence.
PoliticsDecember 16, 2024
Seventy-four-year-old Nadaraja Sivaranjani holds a photo of her missing son and granddaughter

Sri Lanka: Female deminers clear path to postwar recovery

Sri Lanka: Female deminers clear path to postwar recovery

Fifteen years after Sri Lanka's brutal civil war, women are clearing land mines to rebuild their communities.
ConflictsDecember 9, 2024
A view of farmer Seenith Thambi Nimalan, a mustached man dressed in a violet shirt, with a herd of cows in the background

Tamils fight back against land grabs in Sri Lanka

Tamils fight back against land grabs in Sri Lanka

For many, land grabs and livestock killings are part of a strategy to establish Sinhala-Buddhist dominance.
Human RightsNovember 14, 202402:52 min
Tea pickers in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Tamil tea pickers struggle for rights

Sri Lanka's Tamil tea pickers struggle for rights

The hill country Tamils in Sri Lanka, who have shaped the nation's tea industry, continue to live on the margins.
Food SecurityOctober 17, 202403:10 min
Sri Lanka's newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addresses a gathering after taking his oath of office

Will a new president shift Sri Lanka's foreign policy?

Will a new president shift Sri Lanka's foreign policy?

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to maintain a delicate balance in relations with both India and China.
PoliticsSeptember 25, 2024
Commanders of the security forces stand behind as Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addresses a gathering

Sri Lanka: Can Anura Dissanayake revive a struggling nation?

Sri Lanka: Can Anura Dissanayake revive a struggling nation?

Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, must lead the nation out of its worst economic crisis in decades.
PoliticsSeptember 23, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

A street view of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Why young Sri Lankans are staying, despite economic crisis

Although many young people have fled for better opportunities abroad, some say they want to help rebuild their country.
BusinessSeptember 20, 202402:58 min
Sri Lanka Thalawakele | Teeplantagenarbeiter vor der Präsidentschaftswahl

Sri Lanka goes to the polls as economy sees upswing

Sri Lanka is slowly coming out of an economic crisis. The upcoming elections will decide where the country is going.
BusinessSeptember 19, 202403:15 min
UN Peacekeepers | Bangladeschische Soldaten der Mission der Vereinten Nationen in der DR Kongo (MONUSCO)

Torturers deployed as UN peacekeepers

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka sent officers implicated in abuses as UN peacekeepers. The UN seemingly turned a blind eye.
PoliticsMay 21, 2024
Refugees and asylum seekers protesting in front of the UNHCR office in Colombo

Sri Lanka: Refugees anguish as UNHCR office set to close

With the UN's refugee agency bureau set to close, those in limbo fear their situation is about to get worse.
Human RightsJune 1, 2023
A person walks over a flooded rice paddy

Sri Lanka on brink of food crisis

Around 30% of Sri Lankans are coping with food insecurity, and one out of four are skipping meals regularly.
Food SecuritySeptember 15, 2022
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