a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization beginning in the 1980s. This period saw a shift from an agriculture-based economy to one based on manufacturing and industry. The physical landscape of the country changed with the emergence of numerous mega-projects, such as the Petronas Towers, the North-South Expressway, the Multimedia Super Corridor, and the new federal administrative capital
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva born 27 October 1945, known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2011.
A founding member of the Workers' Party (PT – Partido dos Trabalhadores), he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lulaachieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as President on 1 January 2003. In the
Former
Serendib, Ceylon
Government Type
Republic
Capital
Colombo
Independence
4 February 1948 (from the UK)
Two big parties
Socialist United People’s Freedom Alliance
Conservative United National Party
President
Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
The Executive Presidency
The Head of State of the Republic of Sri Lanka, the Head of the Executi
them to Sri Lanka in the 19th century as teaand rubber plantation workers, and they remain concentrated in the "tea country" of south-central Sri Lanka. Other minorities include Muslims, Burghers, who are descendants of European colonists. The majority of Sri Lanka's Muslims practice Sunni Islam. Sizable minorities of both Sinhalese and Tamils are Christians, most of whom are Roman Catholic