Map of El Salvador | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 21,040 km²
Land: 20,720 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

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

Coastline: 307 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea:200 nm

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

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


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Population: 5,870,481 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.02% (1995 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%
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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 40% (female 1,165,152; male 1,200,759)
15-64 years: 56% (female 1,677,958; male 1,602,230)
65 years and over: 4% (female 122,368; male 102,014) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.02% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 32.39 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.19 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.96 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Current issues natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 38.9 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.5 years
Male: 64.89 years
Female: 70.23 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.69 children born/woman (1995 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 est.)
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: 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Armando CALDERON SOL (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994) election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held 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 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)

Political parties and leaders

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ana Cristina SOL
In the us chancery: 2,308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-9,671, 9,672
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alan H. FLANIGAN
From the us embassy: Final Boulevard, Station Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Salvador
From the us mailing address: Unit 3,116, San Salvador; APO AA 34,023
From the us telephone: [503] 78-4,444
From the us FAX: [503] 78-6,011

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 19% of GDP and 15% of employment. In 1992-94 the government made substantial progress toward privatization and deregulation of the economy. Growth in national output in 1991-94 nearly averaged 5%, exceeding growth in population for the first time since 1987; and inflation in 1994 of 10% was down from 19% in 1993.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

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 self-sufficient in food

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.6% (1993)

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 financialservices: 9%
By occupation transportation: 6%
By occupation other: 1%
Note: shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but training programs improving situation (1984 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.7% (1993)

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.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: $823 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: coffee, sugarcane, shrimp
Partners: US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Germany

Imports: $2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods
Partners: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.6 billion (December 1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 - 8.760 (January 1995), 8.750 (1994), 8.670 (1993), 8.4500 (1992), 8.080 (1991), 8.0300 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 2.4 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 408 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 116,000 telephones; 21 telephones/1000 persons
Local: NA
Intercity: nationwide microwave radio relay system
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; connected to Central American Microwave System

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $103 million, 0.7% of GDP (1994; $91.9 million, less than 1% of GDP (1995 est.)

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: 106
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 78
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 2
914 to 1523 m: 2
Under 914 m: 78

Airports with unpaved runways
914 to 1523 m: 23

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption