1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
21,400km2; 32% cropland (9% corn, 5% cotton, 7% coffee, 11% other), 26% meadows and pastures, 31% nonagricultural, 11% forested
Coastline
307 km
Land boundaries
515 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
200 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
92% mestizo; Indian and white minorities, 4% each at most
Labor force
1.7 million (est. 1982); 50% agriculture, 14% manufacturing and construction, 7% commerce, 29% public and private services; shortage of skilled labor and large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving situation
Language
Spanish
Literacy
50% literacy in urban areas, 30% in rural areas
Nationality
noun—Salvadoran(s); adjective—Salvadoran
Organized labor
8% total labor force; 10% agricultural labor force; 7% urban labor force (1982)
Population
4,617,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -2.4%
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic, probably 97%-98%
Government
Branches
Constituent Assembly elected on 28 March 1982 (60 seats)
Business organizations
National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP), conservative; Productive Alliance (AP), moderate; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), moderate
Capital
San Salvador
Elections
28 March 1982 Constituent Assembly election; Constituent Assembly to write new constitution and appoint new provisional government until scheduled presidential elections in 1983 Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Julio Samayoa; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Raul Molina; Democratic Action (AD), Rene Fortin Magaña; Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS), Francisco Quiftonez; Popular Orientation Party (POP), Gen. José Alberto Medrano; National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Maj. Roberto D'Aubuisson; Renovative Action Party (PAR), Ernesto Oyarbide
Extreme rightist vigilante organizations
National Democratic Organization (ORDEN), White Warriors Union (UGB), Death Squadron (EM), Mano Blanca (MANO), Organization for Liberation from Communism (OLC)
Government leaders
military/civilian junta composed of José Napoleón DUARTE (President), Army Col. Jaime Abdul GUTIERREZ (Vice President), José Antonio MORALES Ehrlich, Dr. Ramón AVALOS Navarrete
Labor organizations
Federation of Construction and Transport Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent; Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGS); United Confederation of Workers (CUT), leftist; Popular Democratic Unity (UPD), moderate political pressure group headed by FESINCONSTRANS, UCS, and other democratic labor organizations
Legal system
based on Spanish law, with traces of common law; constitution adopted 1962; military coup on 15 October 1979; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; legal education at University of El Salvador; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
Central American Common Market (CACM), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September
Official name
Republic of El Salvador
Political subdivisions
14 departments
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
republic
Voting strength
PDC 24 seats, ARENA 19 seats, PNC 14 seats, AD 2 seats, POP seats, and PPS 1 seat; ACAN-EFE Coalition (composed of ARENA, PCN, AD, POP, and PPS) controls 36 of 60 seats Leftist revolutionary movement (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front—FMLN): armed insurgents—Unified Revolutionary Directorate (DRU; alliance of guerrilla groups), Farabundo Marti Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of the National Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Communist Party of El Salvador/Liberation Armed Forces (PCES/FAL), and Central American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC); militant front organizations—Revolutionary Coordinator of Masses (CRM; alliance of front groups), Popular Revolutionary Bloc (BPR), Unified Popular Action Front (FAPU), 28 February Popular Leagues (LP-28), National Democratic Union (UDN), and Popular Liberation Movement (MLP); revolutionary coalition—Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR), coalition of CRM and Democratic Front (FD), controlled by DRU; FD consists of moderate leftist groups—Independent Movement of Professionals and Technicians of El Salvador (MIPTES), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC)
Economy
Aid
economic—authorized from US, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $149 million; ODA and OOF committed by other Western countries (1970-79), $71 million; military—from US (FY70-80), $16 million
Budget
(1980) $412 million current revenues, $569 million expenditures
Electric power
480,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.3 billion kWh produced (1981), 266 kWh per capita
Exports
$969 million (f.o.b., 1980); coffee, cotton, sugar
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 5,487 metric tons (1978)
GDP
$3.5 billion (1980), $667 per capita; 83% private consumption, 17% government consumption, 24% gross domestic investment; -24% net foreign balance; real growth rate, -10.0% (1980) Agriculture: main crops—coffee, cotton, corn, sugar, rice, beans; caloric intake, 2,051 calories per day per capita (1977); protein intake 51 grams per day per capita (1974)
Imports
$907 million (c.i.f., 1980); machinery, automotive vehicles, petroleum, foodstuffs, fertilizer
Major industries
food processing, textiles, clothing, petroleum products
Major trade partners
exports—32% US, 22% CACM, 33% EC, 13% other (1977); imports—28% US, 24% CACM, 14% EC, 8% Japan, 26% other (1979)
Monetary conversion rate
2.5 colones=US$1 (official)
Communications
Airfields
158 total, 146 usable; 5 with permanent-surfaced runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
5 major transport aircraft
Highways
10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways
Lempa River partially navigable
Pipelines
crude oil 1,051 km; refined products 431 km; natural gas 365 km
Ports
2 major (Acajutla, La Unión), 1 minor
Railroads
602 km 0.914-meter gauge, single tracked
Telecommunications
nationwide trunk radio-relay system; connection into Central American microwave net; 70,000 telephones (1.5 per 100 popl.); 60 AM, 9 FM, and 5 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean Satellite station
Military and Security
Military budget
proposed for fiscal year ending 31 December 1982, $133.9 million; central government budget unknown
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,057,000; 673,000 fit for military service; 55,000 reach military age (18) annually