El Salvador
Introduction El Salvador
------------------------
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.
Geography El Salvador
---------------------
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
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries: total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km,
Honduras 342 km
Coastline: 307 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: 27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11%
other: 60.62% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 360 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes;
frequent and sometimes very
destructive earthquakes and volcanic
activity; extremely susceptible to
hurricanes
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution; contamination of soils
from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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
People El Salvador
------------------
Population: 6,353,681 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.4% (male 1,211,156;
female 1,162,317)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,735,744;
female 1,922,395)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male
144,864; female 177,205) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.83% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 28.3 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -3.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.32 years
female: 74.11 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.72 years
Total fertility rate: 3.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 25,000 (2000 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,300 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic groups: mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%
Religions: 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
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.)
Government El Salvador
----------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El
Salvador
Government type: republic
Capital: San Salvador
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: 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 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 (CD) 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 labor organizations - Electrical
leaders: 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 BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
participation: IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer),
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, 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
consulate(s) general: Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, and San
Francisco
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
chancery: 2308 California Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Rose M.
US: LIKINS
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa
Elenal, 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 El Salvador
-------------------
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. Growth in 2002 will depend
largely on the speed of recovery in
the US.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $28.4
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,600
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 48% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1.4%
percentage share: highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini 50.8 (1997)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.35 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 15%,
services 55% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.)
Industries: food processing, beverages,
petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer,
textiles, furniture, light metals
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.69 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 42.3%
hydro: 35.5%
other: 22.2% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.07 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 112 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 750 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans,
oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp;
beef, dairy products
Exports: $2.9 billion (2001)
Exports - commodities: offshore assembly exports, coffee,
sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals,
electricity
Exports - partners: US 65%, Guatemala 11%, Honduras 8%,
EU 5% (2000)
Imports: $5 billion (2001)
Imports - commodities: raw materials, consumer goods,
capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs,
petroleum, electricity
Imports - partners: US 50%, Guatemala 10%, EU 7%, Mexico
5%, (2000)
Debt - external: $4.9 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: total $252 million; $57 million from
US (1999 est.)
Currency: Salvadoran colon (SVC); US dollar
(USD)
Currency code: SVC; USD
Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones per US dollar -
8.750 (fixed since January 2001),
8.755 (fixed rate since 1993)
note: since January 2001 the US
dollar has also become legal tender;
the exchange rate has been fixed at
8.75 colones per US dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications El Salvador
--------------------------
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)
Transportation El Salvador
--------------------------
Railways: total: 562 km
narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route is
reduced to 283 km by disuse and lack
of maintenance (2001 est.)
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 (2002 est.)
Airports: 83 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 79
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 62 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military El Salvador
--------------------
Military branches: Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,500,712 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 951,715 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 68,103 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $112 million (FY99)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 0.7% (FY99)
GDP:
Transnational Issues El Salvador
--------------------------------
Disputes - international: El Salvador claims tiny Conejo
Island off Honduras in the Golfo de
Fonseca; many of the "bolsones"
(disputed areas) along the El
Salvador-Honduras boundary remain
undemarcated despite ICJ
adjudication in 1992; 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;
small amounts of marijuana produced
for local consumption; domestic
cocaine abuse on the rise
|