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Background:
|
 El
Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the
Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war,
which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992
when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that
provided for military and political reforms. |
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Location:
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Central America,
bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and
Honduras |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
21,040 sq km
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 545
km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
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Coastline:
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307 km |
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy
season (May to October); dry season (November to April);
tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains
with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
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Natural resources:
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hydropower,
geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land:
27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11%
other: 60.62% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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360 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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known as the Land
of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive
earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to
hurricanes |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from
disposal of toxic wastes |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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smallest Central
American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean
Sea |
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Population:
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6,587,541 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
36.8% (male 1,237,262; female 1,185,750)
15-64 years: 58.1% (male 1,819,035; female 2,009,032)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 150,221; female 186,241)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
21.4 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 22.5 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.78% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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27.48
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.93 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-3.74 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
25.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.79 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 70.92 years
male: 67.31 years
female: 74.7 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.6% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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24,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo 90%,
Amerindian 1%, white 9% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
83%
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 |
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Languages:
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Spanish, Nahua
(among some Amerindians) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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San
Salvador |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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15
September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 15 September (1821) |
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Constitution:
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23
December 1983 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last
held 21 March 2004 (next to be held NA March 2009)
election results: Antonio SACA elected president;
percent of vote - Antonio SACA (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL (FMLN)
35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%; note - Antonio
SACA will assume the presidency on 1 June 2004 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA
March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 28, PCN 15, PDC 5, CD 5 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative
Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Christian
Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; United Democratic
Center or CDU [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]; Social Democratic Party
or PSD [Juan MEDRANO] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington,
DC
FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC
20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo
Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 278-4444
FAX: [503] 278-6011 |
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Economy - overview:
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With the adoption
of the US dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control
over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a
disciplined fiscal policy. GDP per capita is roughly only half
that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and the distribution of
income is highly unequal. The trade deficit has been offset by
annual remittances of almost $2 billion from Salvadorans
living abroad and external aid. The government is striving to
open new export markets, encourage foreign investment,
modernize the tax and healthcare systems, and stimulate the
sluggish economy. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $30.99 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $4,800 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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48% (1999 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.35 million
(1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 30%,
industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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6.5% - but the
economy has much underemployment (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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food processing,
beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles,
furniture, light metals |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.4% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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3.729 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
44%
hydro: 30.9%
other: 25.1% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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3.777 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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44 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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353 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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39,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, sugar,
corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef,
dairy products |
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Exports:
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$3.162 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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offshore assembly
exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals,
electricity |
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Exports - partners:
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US 62.9%,
Guatemala 11.9%, Honduras 6.8%, Nicaragua 4.4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$5.466 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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raw materials,
consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum,
electricity |
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Imports - partners:
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US 38.2%,
Guatemala 9.9%, Mexico 6.1% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$6.5 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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total $252
million; $57 million from US (1995) |
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Currency:
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US dollar (USD) |
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Currency code:
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USD |
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Exchange rates:
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the US dollar is
the legal tender |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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667,700 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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888,800 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central
American Microwave System |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 61 (plus 24
repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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5 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.sv |
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Internet hosts:
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269 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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300,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total: 283
km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km
to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,043 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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Rio Lempa
partially navigable |
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Ports and harbors:
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Acajutla, Puerto
Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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73 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 69
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 54 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (FNES),
Air Force |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,571,299 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 995,672 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
69,993 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$157 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.1% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 1992, the ICJ
ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed
areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, and the OAS is
assisting with a technical resolution of undemarcated bolsones;
in 2003, the ICJ rejected El Salvador's request to revise its
decision on one part of the bolsones; the 1992 ICJ ruling
advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the
Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the
Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island,
not mentioned by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Gulf de Fonseca |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment
point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for
local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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