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Communications

Airports [time series]

107 total, 77 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

7 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km improved and unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

Rio Lempa partially navigable

Ports [time series]

Acajutla, Cutuco

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

602 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 77 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police, Treasury Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $220 million, 3.6% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,265,149; 809,419 fit for military service; 68,445 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 25% of GDP and 40% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop; other products - sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food

Budget [time series]

revenues $751 million; expenditures $790 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Salvadoran colon (plural - colones); 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $525 million

Electricity [time series]

682,000 kW capacity; 1,927 million kWh produced, 356 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 - 8.1 (January 1992), floating rate since mid-1990); 5.0000 (fixed rate 1986 to mid-1990)

Exports [time series]

$580 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: coffee 45%, sugar, cotton, shrimp partners: US 49%, Germany 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.0 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $5.5 billion, per capita $1,010; real growth rate 3% (1991 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for cocaine

Imports [time series]

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs, machinery, construction materials, fertilizer partners: US 40%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 7%, Germany 5%, Japan 4%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 2.4% (1990); accounts for 22% of GDP

Industries [time series]

food processing, textiles, clothing, beverages, petroleum, tobacco products, chemicals, furniture

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

19% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The agricultural sector accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports. Coffee is the major commercial crop, accounting for 45% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage processing, accounts for 18% of GDP and 15% of employment. Economic losses because of guerrilla sabotage total more than $2 billion since 1979. The costs of maintaining a large military seriously constrain the government's efforts to provide essential social services. Nevertheless, growth in national output during the period 1990-91 exceeded growth in population for the first time since 1987.

Unemployment rate [time series]

10% (1989)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

307 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

dispute with Honduras over several sections of the land boundary; dispute over Golfo de Fonseca maritime boundary because of disputed sovereignty of islands

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

The Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Area (Land area) [time series]

20,720 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

545 km; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 27%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 6%; other 30%; includes irrigated 5%

Maritime claims [time series]

Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)

Natural resources [time series]

hydropower, geothermal power, crude oil

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Area (Total area) [time series]

21,040 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

San Salvador

Constitution [time series]

20 December 1983

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA; Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-9671 through 3482; there are Salvadoran Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco US: Ambassador William G. WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte No. 1230, San Salvador (mailing address is APO AA 34023); telephone [503] 26-7100; FAX [503] (26) 5839

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Legislative Assembly: last held 10 March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results - ARENA 44.3%, PDC 27.96%, CD 12.16%, PCN 8.99%, MAC 3.23%, UDN 2.68%; seats - (84 total) ARENA 39, PDC 26, PCN 9, CD 8, UDN 1, MAC 1 President: last held 19 March 1989 (next to be held March 1994); results - Alfredo CRISTIANI (ARENA) 53.8%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 36.6%, other 9.6%

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Alfredo CRISTIANI Buchard (since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 1989)

Legal system [time series]

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 [time series]

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of El Salvador

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Business organizations: National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP), conservative; Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), conservative FMLN front organizations: Labor fronts include - National Union of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist umbrella front group, leads FMLN front network; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), best organized of front groups and controlled by FMLN's National Resistance (RN); Social Security Institute Workers Union (STISSS), one of the most militant fronts, is controlled by FMLN's Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN) and RN; Association of Telecommunications Workers (ASTTEL); Centralized Union Federation of El Salvador (FUSS); Treasury Ministry Employees (AGEMHA); Nonlabor fronts include - Committee of Mothers and Families of Political Prisoners, Disappeared Persons, and Assassinated of El Salvador (COMADRES); Nongovernmental Human Rights Commission (CDHES); Committee of Dismissed and Unemployed of El Salvador (CODYDES); General Association of Salvadoran University Students (AGEUS); National Association of Salvadoran Educators (ANDES-21 DE JUNIO); Salvadoran Revolutionary Student Front (FERS), associated with the Popular Forces of Liberation (FPL); Association of National University Educators (ADUES); Salvadoran University Students Front (FEUS); Christian Committee for the Displaced of El Salvador (CRIPDES), an FPL front; The Association for Communal Development in El Salvador (PADECOES), controlled by the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP); Confederation of Cooperative Associations of El Salvador (COACES)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Labor organizations: Federation of Construction and Transport Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent; Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), leftist; Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist; National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC), moderate labor coalition of democratic labor organizations; United Workers Front (FUT) Leftist political parties: National Democratic Union (UDN), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Movement (MPSC) Leftist revolutionary movement: Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency, five factions - Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), and Central American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Armando CALDERON Sol; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fidel CHAVEZ Mena; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda; National Democratic Union (UDN), Mario AGUINADA Carranza; the Democratic Convergence (CD) is a coalition of three parties - the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Wilfredo BARILLAS; the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Victor VALLE; and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben ZAMORA; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio REY PRENDES; Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo GONZALEZ Camacho

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

33 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mestizo 89%, Indian 10%, white 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

26 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

1,700,000 (1982 est.); agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1%; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)

Languages [time series]

Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

73% (male 76%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Salvadoran(s); adjective - Salvadoran

Net migration rate [time series]

- 6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

total labor force 15%; agricultural labor force 10%; urban labor force 7% (1987 est.)

Population [time series]

5,574,279 (July 1992), growth rate 2.2% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic about 75%, with extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country (more than 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador at the end of 1990)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.0 children born/woman (1992)