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)                          
                                                                                
