1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 21,040 sq km land area: 20,720 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Climate
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)
Coastline
307 km
Environment
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea
International disputes
land boundary dispute with Honduras mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required
Irrigated land
1,200 sq km (1989)
Land boundaries
total 545 km, Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Land use
arable land: 27% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 6% other: 30%
Location
Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 nm
Natural resources
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum
Note
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
Terrain
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 40% (female 1,165,152; male 1,200,759) 15-64 years: 56% (female 1,677,958; male 1,602,230) 65 years and over: 4% (female 122,368; male 102,014) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
32.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
6.19 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white 1%
Infant mortality rate
38.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
1.7 million (1982 est.) by occupation: agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1% note: shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but training programs improving situation (1984 est.)
Languages
Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.5 years male: 64.89 years female: 70.23 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 73% male: 76% female: 70%
Nationality
noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran
Net migration rate
-5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
5,870,481 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
2.02% (1995 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 75% 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
Total fertility rate
3.69 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
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
Capital
San Salvador
Constitution
20 December 1983
Digraph
ES
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ana Cristina SOL chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671, 9672 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Executive branch
chief of state and head of government: President Armando CALDERON SOL (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994) election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held March 1999); results - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 49.03%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 24.09%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 16.39%, other 10.49%; because no candidate received a majority, a run-off election was held 24 April 1994; results - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 68.35%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 31.65% cabinet: Council of Ministers
FAX
[503] 78-6011
Flag
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
Independence
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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
Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held March 1997); results - ARENA 46.4%, FMLN 25.0%, PDC 21.4%, PCN 4.8%, other 2.4%; seats - (84 total) ARENA 39, FMLN 21, PDC 18, PCN 4, other 2
Legislative branch
unicameral
Member of
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Other political or pressure groups
labor organizations: Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; United Workers Front (FUT) business organizations: Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), conservative
Political parties and leaders
National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Juan Jose DOMENECH, president; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), Salvador SANCHEZ Ceren (aka Leonel GONZALEZ), general coordinator; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ronal UMANA, secretary general; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general; Democratic Convergence (CD), Juan Jose MARTEL, secretary general; Unity Movement, Jorge MARTINEZ Menendez, president note: newly formed parties not yet officially recognized by the
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Supreme Electoral Tribunal
Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Kirio Waldo SALGADO, founder; Social Democratic Party (breakaway from FMLN), Joaquin VILLALOBOS, founder; Social Christian Renovation Movement (MRSC) (breakaway from PDC), Abraham RODRIGUEZ, founder
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Alan H. FLANIGAN embassy: Final Boulevard, Station Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, San Salvador; APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 78-4444
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 24% of GDP and 40% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop; other products - sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food
Budget
revenues: $846 million expenditures: $890 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Currency
1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95 billion (plus $250 million for 1992-96); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $525 million
Electricity
capacity: 750,000 kW production: 2.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 408 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 - 8.760 (January 1995), 8.750 (1994), 8.670 (1993), 8.4500 (1992), 8.080 (1991), 8.0300 (1990)
Exports
$823 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: coffee, sugarcane, shrimp partners: US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Germany
External debt
$2.6 billion (December 1992)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption
Imports
$2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods partners: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany
Industrial production
growth rate 7.6% (1993)
Industries
food processing, beverages, petroleum, nonmetallic products, tobacco, chemicals, textiles, furniture
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10% (1994 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $9.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$1,710 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
5% (1994 est.)
Overview
The agricultural sector accounts for 24% of GDP, employs about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports. Coffee is the major commercial crop, accounting for 45% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage processing, accounts for 19% of GDP and 15% of employment. In 1992-94 the government made substantial progress toward privatization and deregulation of the economy. Growth in national output in 1991-94 nearly averaged 5%, exceeding growth in population for the first time since 1987; and inflation in 1994 of 10% was down from 19% in 1993.
Unemployment rate
6.7% (1993)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 77, FM 0, shortwave 2 radios: NA
Telephone system
116,000 telephones; 21 telephones/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: nationwide microwave radio relay system international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; connected to Central American Microwave System
Television
broadcast stations: 5 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 106 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 78 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23
Highways
total: 10,000 km paved: 1,500 km unpaved: gravel 4,100 km; improved, unimproved earth 4,400 km
Inland waterways
Rio Lempa partially navigable
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo
Railroads
total: 602 km (single track; note - some sections abandoned, unusable, or operating at reduced capacity) narrow gauge: 602 km 0.914-m gauge
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $103 million, 0.7% of GDP (1994); $91.9 million, less than 1% of GDP (1995 est.) ________________________________________________________________________ EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,393,480; males fit for military service 892,958; males reach military age (18) annually 77,562 (1995 est.)