El Salvador

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El Salvador

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de El Salvador/Republic of El Salvador Area 21,393 sq km/8,259 sq mi Capital San Salvador Language Spanish (official), Nahuatl Religion about 75% Roman Catholic, Protestant Time difference GMT -6 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 29–30 June, 15 September, 12 October, 2, 5 November, 24–25, 30–31 December; variable: Good Friday, Holy Thursday, Ash Wednesday, San Salvador (4 days)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Soyapango, Santa Ana, San Miguel, Nueva San Salvador, Mejicanos, Apopa, Delgado Physical features narrow coastal plain, rising to mountains in north with central plateau Airports one international airport; three domestic airports and an additional 88 private airports; total passengers carried: 3 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 547 km/340 mi; total passenger journeys: 687,300 (2001) Roads total road network: 10,029 km/6,232 mi, of which 19.8% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 62.6 per 1,000 people (1999)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Elias Antonio Saca from 2004 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 14 departments Political parties Christian Democrats (PDC), anti-imperialist; Farabundo Martí Liberation Front (FMLN), left wing; National Republican Alliance (ARENA), extreme right wing; National Conciliation Party (PCN), right wing Death penalty abolished for ordinary crimes in 1983; laws provide for the death penalty for exceptional crimes, such as crimes committed in wartime Armed forces 15,500; plus 9,900 reservists (2006 est) Conscription selective conscription for one year Defence spend (% GDP) 0.6 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 2.9 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 3.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency US dollar (replaced Salvadorean colón in 2001) GDP (US$) 17 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 16.8 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 5,120 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 4.1% (2006 est) Unemployment 7% (2004 est) Labour force 19.1% agriculture, 23.7% industry, 57.2% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 7.7 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Japan Resources salt, limestone, gypsum Industries coffee, textiles and garments, sugar, shrimp, footwear, pharmaceuticals. Principal market: USA 67.6% (2003) Exports re-exports, coffee, textiles and garments, sugar, shrimp, footwear, pharmaceuticals. Principal market: USA 60.6% (2005) Imports petroleum and other minerals, cereals, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, consumer goods. Principal source: USA 42.7% (2005) Arable land 31.4% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee, sugar cane, cotton, maize, beans, rice, sorghum; fishing (shrimp)


POPULATION

Population 6,998,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 327 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 60 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 34%, 15–59 58%, 60+ 8% (2005 est) Ethnic groups about 92% of the population are mestizos, 6% Indians, and 2% of European origin Life expectancy 69 (men); 75 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 28 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 82% (men); 77% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 12.7 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.7 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.9 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 2,500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 91 (urban); 68 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 14.1 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 35.1 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 478 (1999) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 236 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 5.1 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 9.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

11th century Pipils, descendants of the Nahuatl-speaking Toltec and Aztec peoples of Mexico, settled in the country and came to dominate El Salvador until the Spanish conquest. 1524 Conquered by Spanish adventurer Pedro de Alvarado and made a Spanish colony, with resistance being crushed by 1540. 1821 Independence achieved from Spain; briefly joined with Mexico. 1823 Became part of United Provinces (Federation) of Central America, also embracing Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. 1833 Unsuccessful rebellion against Spanish control of land led by Anastasio Aquino. 1840 Became fully independent when Federation was dissolved. 1859–63 Coffee growing introduced by President Gerardo Barrios. 1932 Peasant uprising, led by Augustín Farabundo Martí, suppressed by military at cost of 30,000 lives, virtually eliminating American Indian Salvadoreans. 1961 Following coup, right-wing National Conciliation Party (PCN) established and in power. 1969 Brief ‘Football War’ with Honduras, which El Salvador attacked, at time of football competition between the two states, following evictions of thousands of Salvadoran illegal immigrants from Honduras. 1977 Allegations of human-rights violations; growth of left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) guerrilla activities. Gen Carlos Romero elected president. 1979 Coup replaced Romero with military-civilian junta. 1980 Archbishop of San Salvador and human-rights champion, Oscar Romero, assassinated. José Napoleón Duarte (PDC) became first civilian president since 1931. 1979–81 30,000 people killed by right-wing death squads. 1981 Mexico and France recognized FMLN as legitimate political force, but USA actively assisted government in battle against them. 1982 Assembly elections boycotted by left-wing parties; won by far-right National Republican Alliance (ARENA). 1986 Duarte sought negotiated settlement with guerrillas. 1989 Alfredo Cristiani of ARENA became president in rigged elections; rebel attacks intensified. 1991 Peace accord sponsored by United Nations (UN); signed by representatives of government and FMLN, which became a political party. 1993 UN-sponsored commission published a report on war atrocities; top military leaders officially retired; amnesty for those implicated. 1999 Francisco Guillermo Flores Pérez elected president. 2000 FMLN displaced ruling ARENA as largest party in Congress, without overall majority. The government signed free-trade agreement with Mexico. 2001 El Salvador adopted US dollar as currency, phasing out colon. Two powerful earthquakes killed over 1,500 people and left 1 million homeless. 2003 Opposition FLM won overwhelming majority in congressional and country-wide mayoral elections. 2004 Government ratified Central American Trade Act (CAFTA). Presidential elections won by ARENA candidate Tony Saca. 2005 El Salvador's largest volcano, Santa Ana (Ilamatepec), erupted, permanently displacing 5,000. Hurricane Stan caused heavy flooding and 67 deaths. 2006 El Salvador and Honduras finalized border demarcation along Lempa River after 100-hour war over disputed frontier. 2007 Government declared three days of mourning following killing of three members of ruling ARENA party while in Guatemala.


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