The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on El Salvador

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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El Salvador

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Map

Location: 13 50 N, 88 55 W -- Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

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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

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Geography

Location: Middle 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 area: 21,040 sq km
land area: 20,720 sq km
comparative area: 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
International disputes: 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
Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 8%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 6%
other: 30%
Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity
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
Geographic note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

People

Population: 5,828,987 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 1,137,804; female 1,097,774)
15-64 years: 57% (male 1,627,519; female 1,716,261)
65 years and over: 5% (male 115,973; female 133,656) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.81% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 28.3 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.88 years
male: 65.44 years
female: 72.5 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic divisions: mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white 1%
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
Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 71.5%
male: 73.5%
female: 69.8%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
Data code: ES
Type of government: 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, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 20 December 1983
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994) and Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994) were elected for five-year terms by universal suffrage; election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - 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 24 April 1994; results - Armando CALDERON SOL (ARENA) 68.35%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 31.65%
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa): elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1997); results - ARENA 46.4%, FMLN 25.0%, PDC 21.4%, PCN 4.8%, other 2.4%; seats - (84 total) ARENA 39, FMLN 21, PDC 18, PCN 4, other 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Juan Jose DOMENECH, president; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), Salvador SANCHEZ Ceren (aka Leonel GONZALEZ), general coordinator; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ronal UMANA, secretary general; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general; Democratic Convergence (CD), Juan Jose MARTEL, secretary general; Unity Movement, Jorge MARTINEZ Menendez, president
note: newly formed parties not yet officially recognized by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal: Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Kirio Waldo SALGADO, founder; Social Democratic Party (breakaway from FMLN), Joaquin VILLALOBOS, founder; Social Christian Renovation Movement (MRSC) (breakaway from PDC), Abraham RODRIGUEZ, founder
Other political or pressure groups:
labor organizations: Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; United Workers Front (FUT)
business organizations: Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (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 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
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alan H. FLANIGAN
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: 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

Economic 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 - $11.4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,950 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.4% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 1.7 million (1982 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1%
Unemployment rate: 6.7% (1993)
Budget:
revenues: $846 million
expenditures: $890 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, textiles, furniture
Industrial production growth rate: 7.6% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity: 750,000 kW
production: 2.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 408 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coffee, sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseed; beef, dairy products; shrimp
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption
Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: coffee, sugarcane, shrimp
partners: US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Germany
Imports: $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods
partners: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany
External debt: $2.6 billion (December 1992)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $777 million (1993)
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 - 8.755 (December 1995), 8.755 (1995), 8.750 (1994), 8.670 (1993), 9.170 (1992), 8.080 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

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: 12,251 km
paved: 1,740 km (including 107 km of expressways)
unpaved: 10,511 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
Ports: Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 73
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 48
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 21 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 116,000 (1984 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 77, FM 0, shortwave 2
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1986 est.)
Televisions: 500,700 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,415,691
males fit for military service: 905,938
males reach military age (18) annually: 78,660 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1% of GDP (1995)

El Salvador

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).