El Salvador

Republic of El SalvadorRepublica de El Salvador

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

El Salvador as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 99 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSan Salvador

Position13 50 N, 88 55 W

Area21,040 sq km

LocationMiddle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between

Populationas each edition published it

5.66 million July 1997 est. · 5.31m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.6% 1997 est. · 2.04% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

69.27 years 1997 est. · 66.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.13 children per woman 1997 est. · 4.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

30.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 49 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,080 1996 est. · $1,060 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1996 est. · 4.6% in 1993

Geography

Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between | Guatemala and Honduras

18 fields

Land useshare of 21,040 sq km

arable land 27%permanent crops 8%permanent pastures 29%forests and woodland 5%other 31% (1993 est.)irrigated 1,200 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

21,040sq km

land: 20,720 sq kmwater: 320 sq kmslightly smaller than Massachusetts

Coastline

307km

territorial sea: 200 nm

Highest point

2,730m

Cerro El Pitallowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

545km

border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Location

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

Climate

tropical;
rainy season (May to October);
dry season (November to April)

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Natural hazards

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

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:: Law of the Sea

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields

Population

5,661,827

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 1.6% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

27.22Death

6.44Net migration

-4.81

Ethnic groups

mestizo 94%Amerindian 5%white 1%

Literacy

71.5%

definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale : 73.5%female: 69.8% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 38% (male 1,084,198; female 1,038,248)
15-64 years:: 57% (male 1,538,609; female 1,709,756) 65 years and over : 5% (male 133,038; female 157,978) (July 1997 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:: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

30.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 69.27 years
male :: 65.89 years
female:: 72.81 years (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Salvadoran(s)
adjective:: Salvadoran

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

Government

Republic; President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

35.4%

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%

Legislature, 84 seatsone dot, one seat

ARENA 28FMLN 27PCN 11PDC 9PRSC 3CD 2PLD 2MU 1PD 1

Percent of vote

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%

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

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

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

Executive branch

chief of state :: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994);
Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994);
Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:: Council of Ministers
elections:: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms;
election last held 20 March 1994, with a run-off election held 24 April 1994 (next to be held NA March 1999)
election results:: Armando CALDERON Sol elected president;
percent of vote - 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 and the results were as follows - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 68.35%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 31.65%

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 16 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000)
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 11, PDC 9, PRSC 3, CD 2, PLD 2, MU 1, PD 1

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Gloria SALGUERO Gross, president];
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Salvador SANCHEZ Ceren (aka Leonel GONZALEZ), general coordinator];
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Ronal UMANA, secretary general];
National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general];
Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general];
Unity Movement Party or MU [Jorge MARTINEZ Menendez, president];
Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, founder];
Democratic Party or PD (breakaway from FMLN) [Joaquin VILLALOBOS, founder, Ana Guadalupe MARTINEZ, leader];
Social Christian Renovation Party or PRSC (breakaway from PDC) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, founder]

Political pressure groups and leaders

labor organizations - Salvadoran Communal Union or UCS (peasant association);
General Confederation of Workers or CGT (moderate);
United Workers Front or FUT;
business organizations - Productive Alliance or AP (conservative);
National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen or FENAPES (conservative)

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, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission :: Ambassador Anne PATTERSON
embassy:: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Station Antiguo Cuscatlan, 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 possesses a fast-growing | entrepreneurial economy in which 90% of economic activity is in | private hands, with growth averaging 5% since 1990.

22 fields

Real growth rate

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 7.6% (1993)

Inflation, consumer prices

7.4%

(1996)

Unemployment rate

7.6%

(1996 est.)

Labor force

2.2million

(1996 est.)by occupation: agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1%

GDP - composition by sector(1995)

agriculture 14%industry 27%services 59% (1995)

Budget

Revenues

$1.75 billionExpenditures

$1.82 billion (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $317 million

Economy - overview

El Salvador possesses a fast-growing entrepreneurial economy in which 90% of economic activity is in private hands, with growth averaging 5% since 1990. Yet, because the 1980s were a decade of civil war and stagnation, per capita GDP has not regained the level of the late 1970s. The rebound in the 1990s stems from the government program, in conjunction with the IMF, of privatization, deregulation, and fiscal stabilization.

The economy now is oriented more toward manufacturing and services compared with agriculture. The sizable trade deficits are in the main covered by remittances from the large number of Salvadorans abroad.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,080 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

900,000 kW (1996)

Electricity - production

3.32 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - consumption per capita

580 kWh (1996 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value:: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:: coffee, sugarcane;
shrimp;
textiles, chemicals
partners:: US, Guatemala, Germany, Costa Rica, Honduras

Imports

total value:: $3.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities :: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods
partners:: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Japan

Debt - external

$2.54 billion (yearend 1996)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $763 million (1996) note: US has committed $250 million in aid to El Salvador for 1992-96

Currency

1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 (end of period) - 8.755 (January 1997), 8.755 (1996), 8.755 (1995), 8.750 (1994), 8.670 (1993), 9.170 (1992), 8.080 (1991)

note: as of 1 June 1990, the rate is based on the average of the buying and selling rates, set on a weekly basis, for official receipts and payments,

imports of petroleum, and coffee exports; prior to that date, a system of floating was in effect

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

300,000

(1996 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international :: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations

AM 18, FM 80, shortwave 2

Radios

1 million (1996 est.)

Television broadcast stations

11 (1996 est.)

Televisions

600,000 (1996 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m : 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Networkskm

Highways

12,320Railways

602

Highways: paved: 1,712 km (including 110 km of expressways) · unpaved : 10,608 km (1995 est.) · Railways: (single track; note - some sections abandoned, unusable, or operating at reduced capacity) · narrow gauge: 602 km 0.914-m gauge

Railways

total:: 602 km (single track; note - some sections abandoned, unusable, or operating at reduced capacity)
narrow gauge:: 602 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways

total:: 12,320 km
paved:: 1,712 km (including 110 km of expressways)
unpaved :: 10,608 km (1995 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.9%

(1996)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

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

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Central Intelligence Agency. “El Salvador.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/el-salvador/1997.

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