|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background: El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.
|
|
|
|
Common Name: El Salvador
|
Local Official Name: El Salvador
|
|
Abbreviated Name: Republic of El Salvador
|
Official Name: Republica de El Salvador
|
|
Official Script Name: El Salvador
|
Local Common Name: El Salvador
|
|
Former Name: El Salvador
|
Territory of: NA
|
|
|
Head of State: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez
|
Government Type: republic
|
Independence: 1821 September 15 (from Spain)
|
Constitution: 1983 December 23
|
National Holiday: Independence Day, 15 September
|
International Organization Participation: BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
|
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: NA
|
Legal System: based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
|
Suffrage: 18 years
|
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21 March 2004 (next to be held March 2009)
election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president; percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (ARENA) 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL (FMLN) 35.6%, Hector SILVA (CDU-PDC) 3.9%, other 2.8%
Legislative Branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly)
|
Party Leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER, secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ, coordinator general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar HERNANDEZ Carcamo, coordinator general]
|
International Disputes: in 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, but despite Organization of American States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca
|
Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location of El Salvador: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
|
|
Continent: South America
|
Land Area Total: 21,040 sq km
|
|
Region: Central America |
Land Area Land: 20,720 sq km
|
|
Capitol City: San Salvador
|
Land Area Water: 320 sq km
|
|
Current: -6
|
|
|
|
|
Latitude: 013 50 N
|
Border Boundary Land: 545 km
|
|
Longitude: 088 55 W
|
Border Boundary Coastline: 307 km
|
|
|
|
Arable Land: 31.37 %
|
Pastures: 0.00 %
|
|
Crops: 11.88 %
|
Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
|
|
|
|
Highest Elevation: 2,730 m
|
Location: Cerro El Pital
|
|
Lowest Elevation: 0 m
|
Location: Pacific Ocean
|
|
|
|
Largest City in El Salvador: San Salvador
|
San Salvador Largest City Population: 1,368,000
|
|
|
Threatened Species: 37
|
Environmental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
|
Environmental Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
|
Irrigated Land: 450
|
Bordering Countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
|
Natural Resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
|
Geographical Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
|
Comparative Area of El Salvador: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
|
El Salvador's Geography: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in El Salvador.
|
General Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
|
Natural Hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economic Overview: The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years. Hoping to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize the tax and healthcare systems. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy to help achieve these objectives. The trade deficit has been offset by annual remittances from Salvadorans living abroad - 16.6% of GDP in 2005 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency in 2001, El Salvador has lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy.
|
|
|
|
GDP: $31,300,000,000 USD
|
Currency: US dollar
|
|
GDP per Capita: $4,700 USD
|
Currency Code: USD
|
|
GDP Growth Rate: 2.80 %
|
One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% USD
|
|
|
Currency Exchange Rate History: the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001
|
|
|
|
GDP of Agriculture: 9.90 %
|
GDP of Industry: 30.20 %
|
|
GDP of Services: 59.90 % |
|
|
|
|
Inflation Rate: 4.70 % |
Population in Poverty: 36.10 %
|
|
Unemployment Rate: 6.50 %
|
Tourism: 658,000.00 visitors each year
|
|
|
|
Consumption by lowest 10%: 1.40 %
|
Budget Revenue in USD: $2,840,000,000 USD
|
|
Consumption by upper 10%: 39.30 %
|
Budget Expenditures in USD: $3,167,000,000 USD
|
|
|
|
Electricity Production: 4,158,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Exports: 91,000,000 kWh
|
|
Electricity Consumption: 4,450,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Imports: 473,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Production by Source:
|
|
|
Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 42.30%
|
Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
|
Hydro Electricity Production: 35.50%
|
Other Electricity Production: 22.20%
|
|
|
|
Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Consumption: 40,000 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
|
|
Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
|
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
|
|
|
|
External Debt: $8,087,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $125,000,000 USD
|
|
|
Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
|
|
|
Agricultural Products: coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products
|
Primary Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
|
Industrial Growth Rate: 1.50 %
|
|
|
Import Amount in USD: $6,678,000,000 USD - raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity
|
Import Partners: US 43.4%, Guatemala 8.2%, Mexico 7.8%
|
Export Amount in USD: $3,586,000,000 USD - offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity
|
Export Partners: US 61%, Guatemala 12.1%, Honduras 7.4%, Nicaragua 4.2%
|
|
|
GINI Index: 52.50%
|
Labor Force Number of People: 2,810,000
|
Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 17.1%. industry: 17.1%, services: 65.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations: 91 |
Number of People with Radios: 2,750,000 |
|
Television Broadcast Stations: 5 |
Number of People with Televisions: 600,000 |
|
Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 971,500 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 2,412,000 |
|
|
|
Internet Service Providers: 4,682 |
Internet Users: 637,100 |
|
|
|
Internet Country Code: .sv |
Newspapers: 28 |
|
Two Letter Country Code: ES |
Weights and Measures: |
|
Phone Country Code: 503 |
Electricity Voltage: 115 Volts |
|
|
Telephone Systems: general assessment: NA
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highways: 1,986 km |
Railways: 283 km
|
|
Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 0 km
|
|
Airports: 4 |
Heliports: 1
|
|
|
|
Motor Vehicles: 63 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 5,456,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.90 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Merchant Marines: NA
|
Ports and Harbors: Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Population: 6,822,378 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 26.61 births per 1,000 people |
|
Population Density: 310.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 5.78 deaths per 1,000 people |
|
Population Growth: 1.72% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.12 babies born per woman |
|
|
|
Population Male 0-14: 1,265,080 |
Population Female 0-14: 1,212,216 |
|
Population Male 15-64: 1,900,372 |
Population Female 15-64: 2,092,251 |
|
Population Male 65+: 156,292 |
Population Female 65+: 196,167 |
|
|
|
Population 0-14: 36.30% |
Literacy Rate: 80.20% |
|
Population 15-64: 58.50% |
Literacy rate of Males: 82.80% |
|
Population 65+: 5.20% |
Literacy rate of Females: 77.70% |
|
|
|
Population that is Male: 52.50
% |
Population that is Female: 47.50% |
|
Life expectancy at birth in years: 71.49 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 24.39 Babies die per 1,000 births |
|
Life expectancy at birth for Males: 67.88 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 75.28 years |
|
|
|
Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.70%
|
Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 29,000
|
|
|
Number of people who died of AIDS: 2,200 |
|
|
Disease Risk:
|
Diseases:
|
Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -3.61
|
Nationality: SALVADORAN
|
Ethnic Groups: mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%
|
|
|
Primary Language: Spanish
|
Other Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
|
|
|
Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
|
Other Religions: Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Branches: Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS)
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month service obligation; 16 years of age f years
|
Manpower Available: 3,473,601 People
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: 2,270,781 People
|
Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 139,812 People per year
|
Expenditures: $0 USD per year
|
Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.00
|
|
|
|
Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
|
El Salvador Spa and Resort Directory
|
El Salvador Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
|
El Salvador Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
|
El Salvador City Information Game Earn Real Money
|
