from
CIA World Factbook 2006
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.
Geography
Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
between Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic 13 50 N, 88 55 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Massachusetts
comparative:
Land total: 545 km
boundaries: border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline: 307 km
Maritime territorial sea: 200 nm
claims:
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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
resources:
Land use: arable land: 31.37%
permanent crops: 11.88%
other: 56.75% (2005)
Irrigated 450 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes
hazards: destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity;
extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Environment - deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution;
current contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - smallest Central American country and only one without
note: a coastline on Caribbean Sea
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 1.72% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 26.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 total: 24.39 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 27.27 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 21.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 71.49 years
expectancy at male: 67.88 years
birth: female: 75.28 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.12 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.7% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 29,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 2,200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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.)
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 republic
type:
Capital: name: San Salvador
geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 14 departments (departamentos, singular -
divisions: 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 Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez
branch: (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)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year
term; 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 unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
branch: (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
Judicial Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by
branch: the Legislative Assembly)
Political Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER,
parties and secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD
leaders: (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 labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El
pressure Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction
groups and Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or
leaders: 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 BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
organization ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
participation: Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
LAES, 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON
representation Rodriguez
in the US: 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 chief of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
representation embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo
from the US: Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 2278-4444
FAX: [503] 2278-5522
Flag three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and
description: 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
Economy - The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador
overview: 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 - 16.6% of GDP in 2005 - 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 $31.3 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $16.52 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $4,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 9.9%
composition by industry: 30.2%
sector: services: 59.9% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.81 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 17.1%
by occupation: industry: 17.1%
services: 65.8% (2003 est.)
Unemployment 6.5% official rate; but the economy has much
rate: underemployment (2005 est.)
Population 36.1% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.4%
income or highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 52.5 (2001)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 4.7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 15.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $2.84 billion
expenditures: $3.167 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt: 46.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton,
products: sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp
Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals,
fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
Industrial 1.5% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 4.158 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 44%
production by hydro: 30.9%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 25.1% (2001)
Electricity - 4.45 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 91 million kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 473 million kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 40,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-778 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $3.586 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp,
commodities: textiles, chemicals, electricity
Exports - US 61%, Guatemala 12.1%, Honduras 7.4%, Nicaragua 4.2%
partners: (2005)
Imports: $6.678 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels,
commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity
Imports - US 43.4%, Guatemala 8.2%, Mexico 7.8% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $1.833 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $8.087 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003)
recipient:
Currency US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: USD
Exchange the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001
rates:
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 971,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 2.412 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
Central American Microwave System
Radio AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 2.75 million (1997)
Television 5 (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 600,000 (1990)
Internet .sv
country code:
Internet 4,682 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 4 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 637,100 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 75 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 71
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 56 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
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 (2005)
Roadways: total: 10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km
unpaved: 8,043 km (1999)
Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable (2004)
Ports and Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco
terminals:
Military
Military Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES),
branches: Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS)
(2006)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
service age 12-month service obligation; 16 years of age for
and volunteers (2002)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,391,278
available for females age 18-49: 1,542,323 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 960,315
for military females age 18-49: 1,310,466 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 70,286
reaching females age 18-49: 69,526 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $161.7 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled
international: 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