Map of El Salvador | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war which cost the lives of some 75,000 people was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 21,040 km²
Land: 20,720 km²

Land boundaries: total 545 km, Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline: 307 km
Territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate:

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation

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 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 5,636,524 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.04% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Salvadoran(s)
Adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups: mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white 1%

Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)

Religions: Roman Catholic 75%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.04% (1993 est.)

Birth rate

Death rate: 6.53 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.21 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: the Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 42.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.5 years
Male: 63.93 years
Female: 69.2 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.87 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 73%
Male: 76%
Female: 70%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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 type: republic

Capital: San Salvador

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 20 December 1983

Legal system:

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA
In the us chancery: 2,308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 265-9,671 through 3,482
In the us consulates general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Peter F. ROMERO
From the us embassy: Final Boulevard, Station Antigua Cuscatlan, San Salvador
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,023
From the us telephone: 503 78-4,444

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.6% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,060 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 4.7% (1991; accounts for 22% of GDP

Labor force: 1.7 million (1982 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation commerce: 16%
By occupation manufacturing: 15%
By occupation government: 13%
By occupation financial services: 9%
By occupation transportation: 6%
By occupation other: 1%
Note: shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $846 million; expenditures $890 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

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

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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


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

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp:

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 105
Usable: 74
With permanentsurface runways: 5
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 5

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine