El Salvador

§1. El Salvador Introduction

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.

§2. El Salvador Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:
  Central_America_and_the_Caribbean

Area:
  total: 21,040 km²
  land: 20,720 km²
  water: 320 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Massachusetts

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

Coastline:
  307 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 200 nm

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

Terrain:
  mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

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

Natural resources:
  hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

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

Irrigated land:
  360 km² (1998 est.)

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

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

Geography - note:
  smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on
  Caribbean Sea

§3. El Salvador People

Population:
  6,822,378 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 36.3% (male 1,265,080/female 1,212,216)
  15-64 years: 58.5% (male 1,900,372/female 2,092,251)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 156,292/female 196,167) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 21.8 years
  male: 20.7 years
  female: 22.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.72% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  26.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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: 0.8 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.49 years
  male: 67.88 years
  female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.12 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  2,200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Salvadoran(s)
  adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
  mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
  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

Languages:
  Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

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

§4. El Salvador Government

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

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  San Salvador

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

Independence:
  15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:
  23 December 1983

Legal system:
  based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004);
    Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the
    president is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June
    2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note -
    the president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
    popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 21 March 2004 (next
    to be held March 2009)
  election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president; percent of
    vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL (FMLN)
    35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%

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 2003 (next to be held March 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FMLN 31,
    ARENA 28, PCN 15, PDC 5, CD 5

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative
  Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER, secretary general];
  Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU)
  [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation
  Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ, coordinator general]; National
  Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA, president]; 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, coordinator general]

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

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
  IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
  ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
  WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
  chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
  FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey), Houston, Las
    Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales (Arizona), Santa Ana
    (California), San Francisco, Washington, DC
  consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
  embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad,
    San Salvador
  mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
  telephone: [503] 2278-4444
  FAX: [503] 2278-5522

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

§5. El Salvador Economy

Economy - overview:
  The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest
  economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping to stimulate
  the sluggish economy, the government is striving to open new export
  markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize the tax and healthcare
  systems. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic
  Free Trade Agreement, which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed
  as a key policy to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has
  been offset by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16% of
  GDP in 2004 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its
  currency in 2001, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and
  must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $34.15 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $16.52 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $5,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 9.8%
  industry: 30.3%
  services: 60% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  2.81 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  6.5% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  36.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.4%
  highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  52.5 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  15.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.84 billion
  expenditures: $3.167 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  45.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  0.3% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  4.158 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  4.45 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  91 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
  473 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  40,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-858 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $3.586 billion (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals,
  electricity

Exports - partners:
  US 65.6%, Guatemala 11.8%, Honduras 6.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $6.678 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum,
  electricity

Imports - partners:
  US 46.3%, Guatemala 8.1%, Mexico 6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $2.003 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $8.273 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003)

Currency (code):
  US dollar (USD)

Exchange rates:
  the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. El Salvador Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  887,800 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  1,832,600 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
  international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
    (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  5 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .sv

Internet hosts:
  4,404 (2005)

Internet users:
  587,500 (2005)

§7. El Salvador Transportation

Airports:
  76 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 72
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 56 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Railways:
  total: 283 km
  narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by disuse
    and lack of maintenance (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 10,029 km
  paved: 1,986 km
  unpaved: 8,043 km (1999)

Waterways:
  Rio Lempa partially navigable (2004)

Ports and terminals:
  Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco

§8. El Salvador Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force (FAS)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month service
  obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,391,278 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 960,315 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 70,286 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $161.7 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1% (2005 est.)

§9. El Salvador Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation
  of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, but
  despite Organization of American States (OAS) intervention and a further
  ICJ ruling in 2003, full demarcation of the border remains stalled; 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; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise


<Factbook 2006>
