2008 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 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.

Area

total: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 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

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - international agreements

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%) per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000)

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

450 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Land use

arable land: 31.37% permanent crops: 11.88% other: 56.75% (2005)

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Natural resources

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Total renewable water resources

25.2 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.8% (male 1,291,147/female 1,237,453) 15-64 years: 59% (male 1,987,671/female 2,179,620) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 162,100/female 208,412) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

25.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

5.53 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups

mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

29,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 22.19 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.06 years male: 68.45 years female: 75.84 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 80.2% male: 82.8% female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Median age

total: 22.2 years male: 21.1 years female: 23.4 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

Net migration rate

-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

7,066,403 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

1.679% (2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2006)

Sex ratio

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: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.04 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan

Capital

name: San Salvador geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

20 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. GLAZER embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023; 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450 telephone: [503] 2501-2999

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez chancery: 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671

Executive branch

chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma Albanez DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

FAX

[1] (202) 234-3763 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey), Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales (Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington (DC), Woodbridge (Virginia), Woodstock (Georgia)

[503] 2501-2150

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, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (15 judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly; the 15 judges are assigned to four Supreme Court chambers - constitutional, civil, penal, and administrative conflict)

Legal system

based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 2006 (next to be held in March 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU); Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar HERNANDEZ Carcamo]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $3.659 billion expenditures: $3.709 billion (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA

Currency (code)

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Current account balance

-$1.119 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$9.574 billion (December 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

52.4 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$267.6 million of which $55 million from US (2005)

Economy - overview

The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been modest in recent years. Robust growth in non-traditional exports have offset declines in the maquila exports, while remittances and external aid offset the trade deficit from high oil prices and strong import demand for consumer and intermediate goods. El Salvador leads the region in remittances per capita with inflows equivalent to nearly all export income. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which El Salvador was the first to ratify, has strengthened an already positive export trend. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency in 2001, El Salvador lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy. The current government has pursued economic diversification, with some success in promoting textile production, international port services, and tourism through tax incentives. It is committed to opening the economy to trade and investment, and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending to telecom, electricity distribution, banking, and pension funds. In late 2006, the government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a five-year, $461 million compact to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty in the country's northern region through investments in education, public services, enterprise development, and transportation infrastructure.

Electricity - consumption

4.426 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

8.64 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

11.08 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

5.338 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 44% hydro: 30.9% nuclear: 0% other: 25.1% (2001)

Exchange rates

the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001

Exports

$4.035 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 51%, Guatemala 13.6%, Honduras 11.2%, Nicaragua 5.5% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10.8% industry: 30.8% services: 58.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.37 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$41.63 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 38.8% (2002)

Imports

$8.108 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 35.7%, Mexico 9.8%, Guatemala 8.5%, China 4.7% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.6% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

2.913 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 19% industry: 23% services: 58% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.623 billion (2005)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

44,330 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

4,963 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports

45,210 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

30.7% (2006 est.)

Public debt

37.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.199 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$384 million (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$5.918 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$9.729 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$1.802 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$764.1 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

6.2% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.sv

Internet hosts

11,434 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

4 (2000)

Internet users

700,000 (2006)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 52, FM 144, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios

2.75 million (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: multiple mobile-cellular service providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2007 mobile-cellular density stood at nearly 90 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.08 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6.137 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1997)

Televisions

600,000 (1990)

Airports

65 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 48 (2007)

Heliports

1 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco

Railways

total: 562 km narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge note: railways not in operation since 2005 because of disuse and high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2007)

Roadways

total: 10,886 km paved: 2,827 km (includes 327 km of expressways) unpaved: 8,059 km (2000)

Waterways

Rio Lempa partially navigable for small craft (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,634,816 females age 16-49: 1,775,474 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,168,406 females age 16-49: 1,519,375 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 73,915 female: 71,252 (2008 est.)

Military branches

Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2008)

Military expenditures

5% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; service obligation - 8 months, but 11 months for officers and NCOs (2008)

Disputes - international

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, in 1992, with final agreement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008