Economic Profile
Environmental
Profile
Government
Policies & Laws
Urban
Environment & Infrastructure
Private Sector
and Academia
Environmental
Awareness &
Public Involvement
U.S.
Government
Activities
Bilateral &
Multilateral
Activities
Opportunities
References
Endnotes |
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Sri
Lanka, roughly the size of West Virginia, is one of Asia's most
densely populated countries, yet it boasts magnificent natural scenery
and habitat for wild species that include several thousand elephants.
At independence in 1948, its per capita gross domestic product (GDP)
was matched by Korea's and its high literacy and stable government
promised a bright economic future. Subsequent policies of
nationalization and import substitution along with ethnic strife,
however, have inhibited growth. Despite setbacks, economic
liberalization has proceeded since 1977. Democratic institutions have
been maintained; cultural regard for the environment is strong.
Although public information on the environment is poor in general, Sri
Lanka's environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is among the
most transparent in Asia.
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