| Background: |
El Salvador
achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the
Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war,
which cost the lives of some 75,000 people, was brought to a
close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed
a treaty that provided for military and political reforms. |
| Location: |
Middle America,
bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and
Honduras |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
13 50 N, 88 55 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Massachusetts |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras
342 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial
sea: 200 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; rainy
season (May to October); dry season (November to April);
tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
| Terrain: |
mostly mountains
with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hydropower,
geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
27%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 29%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 31% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,200 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
known as the Land
of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive
earthquakes and volcanic activity |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from
disposal of toxic wastes; Hurricane Mitch damage |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
smallest Central
American country and only one without a coastline on
Caribbean Sea |
| Population: |
6,237,662 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
37.68% (male 1,198,623; female 1,151,584)
15-64 years: 57.27% (male 1,693,865; female
1,878,254)
65 years and over: 5.05% (male 142,345; female
172,991) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.85% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
28.67
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.18 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-3.95 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
28.4 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 70.03 years
male: 66.43 years
female: 73.81 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.34 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.6% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
20,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
1,300 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mestizo 90%,
Amerindian 1%, white 9% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
86%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant
groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there
were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El
Salvador |
| Languages: |
Spanish, Nahua
(among some Amerindians) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 71.5%
male: 73.5%
female: 69.8% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
14 departments (departamentos,
singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango,
Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San
Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate,
Usulutan |
| Independence: |
15 September 1821
(from Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
15 September (1821) |
| Constitution: |
23 December 1983 |
| Legal
system: |
based on civil
and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1
June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since
1 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Francisco FLORES
Perez (since 1 June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA
Schmidt (since 1 June 1999); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: cabinet selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms;
election last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March
2004)
election results: Francisco FLORES Perez
elected president; percent of vote - Francisco FLORES
(ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%, Ruben ZAMORA (CDU)
7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 March 2000 (next to be
held NA March 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party -
ARENA 36.1%, FMLN 35.14%, PCN 8.76%, PDC 7.08%, CD 5.32%,
PAN 3.75%, USC 1.47%, PLD 1.29%; seats by party - ARENA 28,
FMLN 31, PCN 14, PDC 5, CD 3, PAN 1, independent 2 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or
Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative
Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Christian
Democratic Party or PDC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Democratic
Convergence or CD (includes PSD, MNR, MPSC) [Ruben ZAMORA,
secretary general]; Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ];
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Fabio
CASTILLO]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo
SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo
Rogelio SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation
Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president]; National
Republican Alliance or ARENA [Walter ARAUJO]; Social
Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger of Christian
Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU)
[Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
labor
organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or
SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar
Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National
Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union
of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El
Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and
Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or
CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL;
business organizations - National Association of Small
Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association
or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI |
| International
organization participation: |
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM
(observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
chancery: 2308 California Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Boston |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS
embassy: Boulevard Santa Elena Final, Antiguo
Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 278-4444
FAX: [503] 278-6011 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the
national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat
of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words
REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to
the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms
centered in the white band - it features a triangle
encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of
Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern
centered in the white band |
| Economy
- overview: |
El Salvador is a
struggling Central American economy which has been suffering
from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the
aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and the devastating
earthquakes of early 2001, and weak world coffee prices. On
the bright side, in recent years inflation has fallen to
single digit levels, and total exports have grown
substantially. The trade deficit has been offset by
remittances (an estimated $1.6 billion in 2000) from
Salvadorans living abroad and by external aid. As of 1
January 2001, the US dollar was made legal tender alongside
the colon. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $24 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $4,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
12%
industry: 28%
services: 60% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
48% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.2%
highest 10%: 38.3% (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2.35 million
(1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 30%,
industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1.8 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
food processing,
beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles,
furniture, light metals |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
3.641 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
45.65%
hydro: 41.01%
nuclear: 0%
other: 13.34% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
3.638 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
208 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
460 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, sugar,
corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef,
dairy products |
| Exports: |
$2.8 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
offshore assembly
exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals,
electricity |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 63%, Guatemala
11%, Honduras 7%, Costa Rica 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
raw materials,
consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum,
electricity |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 52%, Guatemala
9%, Mexico 6%, Costa Rica 3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.1 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
total $252
million; $57 million from US (1999 est.) |
| Currency: |
Salvadoran colon
(SVC); US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Salvadoran
colones per US dollar - 8.755 (fixed rate since 1993) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
380,000 (1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
40,163 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay
system
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American
Microwave System |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 61 (plus 24
repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: |
2.75 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
5 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
600,000 (1990) |
| Internet
country code: |
.sv |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
4 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
40,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
562 km
narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of route which is operational is
reduced to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintainance (2001) |
| Highways: |
total:
10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 8,043 km (1997) |
| Waterways: |
Rio Lempa
partially navigable |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Acajutla, Puerto
Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
79
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 62 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,464,898 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 929,263 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
68,103 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$112 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.7% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
with respect to
the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ
referred to the line determined by the 1900
Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised
that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras
and Nicaragua likely would be required |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment
point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption;
domestic drug abuse on the rise |
|
