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NAVIGATION
Republic of El Salvador
Republica de El Salvador
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador local short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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San Salvador |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
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Constitution:
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23 December 1983 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: Francisco FLORES Perez elected president; percent of vote - Francisco FLORES (ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%, Ruben ZAMORA (CD) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 27, PCN 16, PDC 5, CD 5 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general] (includes Social Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO, leader); Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Fabio CASTILLO]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo Rogelio SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Walter ARAUJO]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI |
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International organization participation:
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BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671 chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Urbanizacion Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 278-4444 FAX: [503] 278-6011 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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El Salvador is a struggling Central American economy which has been suffering from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and the devastating earthquakes of early 2001, and weak world coffee prices. On the bright side, in recent years inflation has fallen to single digit levels, and total exports have grown substantially. The trade deficit has been offset by remittances (an estimated $1.6 billion in 2000) from Salvadorans living abroad and by external aid. As of 1 January 2001, the US dollar was made legal tender alongside the colon. Growth in 2002 will depend largely on the speed of recovery in the US. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $28.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.4% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 10%
industry: 30% services: 60% (2000) (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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48% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 39% (2001) (2001) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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51 (1997) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.8% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.35 million (1999) (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 30%, industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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3.69 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 42%
hydro: 36% other: 22% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.07 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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112 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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750 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products |
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Exports:
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$2.9 billion (2001) |
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Exports - commodities:
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offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity |
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Exports - partners:
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US 65%, Guatemala 11%, Honduras 8%, EU 5% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$5 billion (2001) |
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Imports - commodities:
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raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity |
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Imports - partners:
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US 50%, Guatemala 10%, EU 7%, Mexico 5%, (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$4.9 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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total $252 million; $57 million from US (1999 est.) |
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Currency:
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Salvadoran colon (SVC); US dollar (USD) |
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Currency code:
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SVC; USD |
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Exchange rates:
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Salvadoran colones per US dollar - 8.750 (fixed since January 2001), 8.755 (fixed rate since 1993)
note: since January 2001 the US dollar has also become legal tender; the exchange rate has been fixed at 8.75 colones per US dollar |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |