El Salvador

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

4 (2000)

Internet country code

.sv

Internet users

40,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

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

Telephone system

general assessment: NA 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

40,163 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $2.1 billion expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Currency

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Debt - external

$5.6 billion (2001 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

52.2 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

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

Economy - overview

In recent years, this Central American economy has been suffering from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and the devastating earthquakes of early 2001, and weak world coffee prices. On the bright side, inflation has fallen to single digit levels, and total exports have grown substantially. The trade deficit has been offset by annual remittances of almost $2 billion from Salvadorans living abroad and by external aid. The US dollar is now the legal tender. Because competitor countries have fluctuating exchange rates, El Salvador must face the challenge of raising productivity and lowering costs.

Electricity - consumption

3.777 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

44 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

353 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

3.729 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

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

Exchange rates

8.75 the US dollar is the legal tender

Exports

$3 billion (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 63.3%, Guatemala 12%, Honduras 6.8%, Nicaragua 4.5% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $29.41 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10% industry: 30% services: 60% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)

Imports

$4.9 billion (2002)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 39%, Guatemala 10.1%, Mexico 7.2%, France 4% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2002 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.8% (2001 est.)

Labor force

2.35 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Oil - consumption

39,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

48% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

10% - but the economy has much underemployment. (2001 est.)

Area

total: 21,040 sq km water: 320 sq km land: 20,720 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, 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

360 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

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

Land use

arable land: 27.27% permanent crops: 12.11% other: 60.62% (1998 est.)

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; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Natural resources

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

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 short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 278-4444 FAX: [503] 278-6011

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671 chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch

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 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 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 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: Francisco FLORES Perez elected president; percent of vote - Francisco FLORES (ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%, Ruben ZAMORA (CD) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5%

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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or 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

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 NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 27, PCN 16, PDC 5, CD 5

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general] (includes Social Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO, leader); Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Fabio CASTILLO]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo Rogelio SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Walter ARAUJO]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]

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

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.

Military branches

Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$112 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.7% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,536,230 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 973,884 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 69,534 (2003 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.1% (male 1,224,024; female 1,173,667) 15-64 years: 57.9% (male 1,777,522; female 1,966,064) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 147,482; female 181,620) (2003 est.)

Birth rate

27.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate

6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups

mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

24,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 26.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 29.59 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.62 years male: 67.02 years female: 74.4 years (2003 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 21.1 years male: 20 years female: 22.2 years (2002)

Nationality

noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

Net migration rate

-3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population

6,470,379 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate

1.81% (2003 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 83% 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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Disputes - international

in 1992, the ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, but they remain largely undemarcated; in 2002, El Salvador filed an application to the ICJ to revise the decision on a section of bolsones; the ICJ also advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador claims tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise

Airports

82 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 78 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 61 (2002)

Heliports

1 (2002)

Highways

total: 10,029 km paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways) unpaved: 8,043 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

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 (2002)

Waterways

Rio Lempa partially navigable