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National Map
Of |
El Salvador |
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National Flag
Of |
El Salvador |
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Flag Description:
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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
El Salvador |
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National Anthem
Of |
El Salvador |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
El Salvador |
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Central
America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Guatemala and Honduras |
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 50 N,
88 55 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342
km |
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Coastline:
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307 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
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Terrain:
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mostly
mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
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Natural resources:
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hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
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Land use:
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arable
land: 31.85%
permanent crops: 12.07%
other: 56.08% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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360 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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known as
the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very
destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely
susceptible to hurricanes |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution;
contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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smallest
Central American country and only one without a
coastline on Caribbean Sea |
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Population:
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6,704,932
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 36.5% (male 1,250,901/female 1,198,589)
15-64 years: 58.3% (male 1,860,084/female
2,051,140)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 153,133/female
191,085) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
21.57 years
male: 20.44 years
female: 22.69 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.75%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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27.04
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.85
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-3.67
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
25.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 71.22 years
male: 67.61 years
female: 75.01 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.16
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.7%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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29,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,200
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo
90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1% |
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Religions:
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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 |
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Languages:
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Spanish,
Nahua (among some Amerindians) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador
local short form: 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 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); 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 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% |
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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 March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 28, PCN 15, 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 (formerly United Democratic Center or
CDU) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Democratic Party
or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; 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 [Elias Antonio
SACA Gonzalez]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by
the merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and
Unity Movement or MU) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO] |
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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, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston,
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), San
Francisco, and Washington, DC
consulate(s): Boston |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo
Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 278-4444
FAX: [503] 278-5522 |
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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GDP per
capita is roughly half that of Brazil, Argentina, and
Chile, and the distribution of income is highly unequal.
The government is striving to open new export markets,
encourage foreign investment, modernize the tax and
healthcare systems, and stimulate the sluggish economy.
Implementation of the Central America-Dominican Republic
Free Trade Agreement, ratified by El Salvador in 2004,
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% of GDP
in 2004 - and external aid. With the adoption of the US
dollar as its currency, El Salvador has lost control
over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining
a disciplined fiscal policy. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$32.35
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.8%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 9.2%
industry: 31.1%
services: 59.7% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.75
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003
est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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6.3% -
but the economy has much underemployment (2004 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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36.1%
(2003 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.3% (2001) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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52.5
(2001) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.4%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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16.6% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.491 billion
expenditures: $2.782 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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41.7% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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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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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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0.7%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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4.158
billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 44%
hydro: 30.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 25.1% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.45
billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity - exports:
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91
million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity - imports:
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473
million kWh (2004) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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39,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Current account balance:
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$-880.5
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$3.249
billion (2004 est.) |
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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 65.6%,
Guatemala 11.8%, Honduras 6.3% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$5.968
billion (2004 est.) |
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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 46.3%,
Guatemala 8.1%, Mexico 6% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$1.888
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$4.792
billion (September 2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$125
million of which, $53 million from US (2003) |
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Currency (code):
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US dollar
(USD) |
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Currency code:
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USD |
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Exchange rates:
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the US
dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001 |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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752,600
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,149,800
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 61
(plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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2.75
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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5 (1997)
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Televisions:
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600,000
(1990) |
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Internet country code:
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.sv |
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Internet hosts:
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4,084
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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4 (2000)
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Internet users:
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550,000
(2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
283 km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route reduced from
562 km to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance
(2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,043 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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Rio Lempa
partially navigable (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Acajutla,
Puerto Cutuco |
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Airports:
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73 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
69
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy (FNES), Air Force (FAS) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month
service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers
(2002) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,391,278 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 960,315 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
70,286 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$157
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.1%
(2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 1992,
the ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones"
(disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras
boundary, but despite 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
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of
marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic
cocaine abuse on the rise |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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