View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1993 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 105 usable: 74 with permanent-surface runways: 5 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5

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; 542 km in use

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

nationwide trunk microwave radio relay system; connection into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones (21 telephones per 1,000 persons); 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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $104 million, 3%-4% of GDP (1993 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,305,853; fit for military service 836,192; reach military age (18) annually 71,101 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 24% 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 $846 million; expenditures $890 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95 billion, plus $250 million for 1992-96; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $525 million

Electricity [time series]

713,800 kW capacity; 2,190 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 - 8.7600 (January 1993), 9.1700 (1992), 8.0300 (1991), fixed rate of 5.000 (1986-1989)

Exports [time series]

$693 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: coffee 45%, sugar, shrimp, cotton partners: US 33%, Guatemala, Germany, Costa Rica

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.6 billion (December 1992)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for cocaine

Imports [time series]

$1.47 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods partners: US 43%, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany

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

growth rate 4.7% (1991); accounts for 22% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

17% (1992 est.)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $5.9 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$1,060 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

4.6% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The agricultural sector accounts for 24% 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 1990-92 exceeded growth in population for the first time since 1987.

Unemployment rate [time series]

7.5% (1991)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 21,040 km2 land area: 20,720 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

307 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

land boundary dispute with Honduras mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; ICJ referred the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required

Irrigated land [time series]

1,200 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 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%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum

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

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

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-9671 through 3482 consulates general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

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 (Felix) Alfredo CRISTIANI Buchard (since 1 June 1989); Vice President (Jose) Francisco MERINO Lopez (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)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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

FMLN labor front organizations: 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); Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist; Treasury Ministry Employees (AGEMHA) FMLN nonlabor front organizations: 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) labor organizations: Federation of Construction and Transport Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent; Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC), moderate labor coalition of democratic labor organizations; United Workers Front (FUT) business organizations: National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP), conservative; Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), conservative

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

National Republican Alliance (Arena), Armando CALDERON Sol, president; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fidel CHAVEZ Mena, secretary general; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president; Democratic Convergence (CD) is a coalition of three parties - the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Carlos Diaz BARRERA, secretary general; Democratic Nationalist Union (UDN), Mario AGUINADA Carranza, secretary general; and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Dr. Ruben Ignacio ZAMORA Rivas; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Guillermo Antonia GUEVARA Lacayo, president; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLM), Jorge Shafik HANDAL, general coordinator, has five factions - Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Salvador SANCHEZ Ceren; Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN), Ferman CIENFUEGOS; People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Joaquin VILLA LOBOS Huezo; Salvadoran Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), Jorge Shafik HANDAL; and Central American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation Revolutionary Aermed Forces (FARLP), Francisco JOVEL

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Peter F. ROMERO embassy: Final Boulevard, Station Antigua Cuscatlan, San Salvador mailing address: APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 78-4444 FAX: [503] 78-6011

People

Birth rate [time series]

33.12 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

42.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1.7 million (1982 est.) by occupation: agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1% note: 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]

total population: 66.5 years male: 63.93 years female: 69.2 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 73% male: 76% female: 70%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

Net migration rate [time series]

-6.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

5,636,524 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.04% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 75% note: Roman Catholic about 75%; 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

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.87 children born/woman (1993 est.)