EL SALVADOR GEOGRAPHY Total area: 21,040 km2; land area: 20,720 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km Coastline: 307 km Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm) 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 Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, crude oil Land use: arable land 27%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 6%; other 30%; includes irrigated 5% Environment: The Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution Note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea PEOPLE Population: 5,418,736 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991) Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 68 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Salvadoran(s); adjective--Salvadoran 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) Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Leaders: 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; partners--US 40%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 7%, FRG 5%, Japan 4% External debt: $2.1 billion (December 1990 est.) 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 Currency: Salvadoran colon (plural--colones); 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos 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)