Disputes: dispute with Honduras over several sections of the land
boundary; dispute over Golfo de Fonseca maritime boundary because of
disputed sovereignty of islands
Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season
(November to April)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
plateau
Ethnic divisions: mestizo 89%, Indian 10%, white 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic about 75%, with extensive activity by
Protestant groups throughout the country (more than 1 million
Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador at the end of 1990)
Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 70%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); agriculture 40%, commerce 16%,
manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation
6%, other 1%; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled
labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)
Organized labor: total labor force 15%; agricultural labor force
10%; urban labor force 7% (1987 est.)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
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
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alfredo CRISTIANI
(since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June
1989)
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance
(ARENA), Armando CALDERON Sol;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fidel CHAVEZ Mena;
National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda;
National Democratic Union (UDN), Mario AGUINADA Carranza;
the Democratic Convergence (CD) is a coalition of three
parties--the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Wilfredo BARILLAS;
the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Rene FLORES;
and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben ZAMORA;
Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio REY PRENDES;
Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo GONZALEZ Camacho
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
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%;
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
Other political or pressure groups:
Leftist revolutionary movement--Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency, four
factions--Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National
Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran
Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), and Central
American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation
Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);
Leftist political parties--National Democratic Union (UDN),
National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Movement
(MPSC);
FMLN front organizations:
Labor fronts include--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);
Centralized Union Federation of El Salvador (FUSS);
Treasury Ministry Employees (AGEMHA);
Nonlabor fronts include--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;
Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist;
National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), leftist;
Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate;
General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate;
National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist;
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
Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA;
Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 265-3480 through 3482; there are Salvadoran Consulates General in
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador William G. WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte No.
1230, San Salvador (mailing address is APO Miami 34023); telephone 503
26-7100
Flag: 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
Overview: The agricultural sector accounts for 25% 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 $2.0 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 last year exceeded growth in
population for the first time since 1987.
GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $1,030; real growth rate 2.8%
(1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1989)
Budget: revenues $751 million; expenditures $790 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports: $571 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--coffee 45%, sugar, cotton, shrimp;
partners--US 49%, FRG 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs,
machinery, construction materials, fertilizer;
Industrial production: growth rate 2.4% (1990); accounts for
22% of GDP
Electricity: 682,000 kW capacity; 1,849 million kWh produced,
350 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: food processing, textiles, clothing, beverages,
petroleum, tobacco products, chemicals, furniture
Agriculture: accounts for 25% 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
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $455 million
Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1--8.0 (April
1991, floating rate since mid-1990); 5.0000 (fixed rate 1986 to mid-1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 602 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel,
4,400 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
Airports: 116 total, 82 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection
into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones; stations--77
AM, no FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police,
Treasury Police
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,220,088; 780,108 fit for
military service; 71,709 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $220 million, 3.6% of GDP (1990)
