Sri Lanka's Imperatives and Challenges

Editor's Note: This is the first installment of a two-part series on the strategically located island nation of Sri Lanka.

Located at the midpoint of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka carries substantial strategic value for any power needing to secure nearby sea-lanes running between Africa and Asia. As a natural outgrowth of the subcontinent, Sri Lanka is intrinsically linked with India's strategy to dominate the Indian Ocean basin. But Sri Lanka's complex internal geography and stark ethnic divisions that extend into India proper can limit New Delhi's options in attempting to influence the island. If Colombo can manage to tame those internal divisions, it will seek to attract other interested foreign powers to balance against New Delhi.