2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

20,720 sq km

total

21,040 sq km

water

320 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Climate

tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Coastline

307 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

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

Geographic coordinates

13 50 N, 88 55 W

Geography - note

smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

Irrigated land

1,200 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

total

545 km

Land use

arable land

27%

forests and woodland

5%

other

31% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

8%

permanent pastures

29%

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 hazards

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity

Natural resources

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Age structure

0-14 years: 38% (male 1,186,328; female 1,141,245) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,652,083; female 1,833,998) 65 years and over: 5% (male 139,919; female 168,942) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

29.02 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.27 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%

Infant mortality rate

29.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.52 years (2000 est.)

male

66.14 years

total population

69.74 years

Literacy

definition

age 10 and over can read and write

female

69.8% (1995 est.)

male

73.5%

total population

71.5%

Nationality

adjective

Salvadoran

noun

Salvadoran(s)

Net migration rate

-4.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

6,122,515 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.87% (2000 est.)

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

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: 0.83 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.38 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

23 December 1983

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

Data code

ES

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Anne W. PATTERSON

embassy

Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Salvador

mailing address

Unit 3116, APO AA 34023

telephone

278-4444

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez

consulate(s)

Boston

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

telephone

(202) 265-9671

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers

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

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%

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)

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

FAX

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

Government type

republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly

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

note

Legislative Assembly passed landmark judicial reforms in 1996

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - ARENA 35.4%, FMLN 34.3%, PCN 8.1%, PDC 7.9%, CD 3.8%, PRSC 3.4%, PLD 3.2%, MU 2.1%, PD 1.0%, other 0.8%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 27, PCN 9, PDC 8, PRSC 3, CD 2, PLD 2, MU 1, PD 1, independent 3

elections

last held 16 March 1997 (next to be held 12 March 2000)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rene AGUILUZ, secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN ; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, president]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA ; Popular Labor Party or PPL [Ernesto VILANOVA, secretary general]; Social Christian Union or USC [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]; Social Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ and Juan MEDRANO]; United Democratic Center or CDU , bloc includes CD and PD formed by merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC, National Solidarity Movement or MSN, and the Unity Movement or MU

Political pressure groups and leaders

business organizations

National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI

labor organizations

Association of Agricultural Producers or APROAS; 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 Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coffee, sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp

Budget

expenditures

$1.73 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

revenues

$1.5 billion

Currency

1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Debt - external

$3.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

total $252 million; $57 million from US (1999 est.)

Economy - overview

El Salvador is a poor Central American economy which has been suffering from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, 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 substantial trade deficit has been offset by remittances from the large number of Salvadorans living abroad and from external aid.

Electricity - consumption

4.17 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

30 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

65 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

4.1 billion kWh (1999 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

49.32%

hydro

36.46%

nuclear

0%

other

14.22% (1998)

Exchange rates

Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 (end of period) - 8.755 fixed rate since 1993

Exports

$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity

Exports - partners

US 59%, Guatemala 12%, Germany 6%, Costa Rica 4%, Honduras (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12%

industry

22%

services

66% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,100 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 38.3% (1995)

Imports

$4.15 billion (c.i.f., 1999)

Imports - commodities

raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Imports - partners

US 51%, Guatemala 9%, Mexico 6%, Japan 3%, Costa Rica (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (1999 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (1999 est.)

Labor force

2.35 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 30%, industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

48% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.7% (1997 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

2.75 million (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

nationwide microwave radio relay system

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Telephones - main lines in use

380,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

13,475 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1997)

Televisions

600,000 (1990)

Airports

85 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

81 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 64 (1999 est.)

Heliports

1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways)

total

10,029 km

unpaved

8,043 km (1997 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo

Railways

narrow gauge

602 km 0.914-m gauge

total

602 km (single track; note - some sections abandoned, unusable, or operating at reduced capacity)

Waterways

Rio Lempa partially navigable

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$105 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.9% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,428,974 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 906,656 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

67,181 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

the Honduras-El Salvador Border Protocol ratified by Honduras in May 1999 established a framework for a long-delayed border demarcation, which is currently underway; 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

EQUATORIAL GUINEA