Thirty-three miles southeast of India is the teardrop shaped island nation of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was once covered with rainforest, but most of the forest has been cut down to make room for farming and development. Many scientists believe deforestation has caused severe droughts in Sri Lanka. More than 45,000 people have been killed in a civil war on the island since 1983. Ethnic Hindu militants are fighting a guerrilla war against the Buddhist majority. They hope to create a separate state for themselves in northeast Sri Lanka.