314 lines
25 KiB
Plaintext
314 lines
25 KiB
Plaintext
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EL SALVADOR
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 21,040 km2; land area: 20,720 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
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Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
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Coastline: 307 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond
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12 nm)
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Disputes: dispute with Honduras over several sections of the land
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boundary; dispute over Golfo de Fonseca maritime boundary because of
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disputed sovereignty of islands
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Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season
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(November to April)
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Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
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plateau
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Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, crude oil
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Land use: arable land 27%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures
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29%; forest and woodland 6%; other 30%; includes irrigated 5%
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Environment: The Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and
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sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion;
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water pollution
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Note: smallest Central American country and only one without a
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coastline on Caribbean Sea
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PEOPLE
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Population: 5,418,736 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
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Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 68 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Salvadoran(s); adjective--Salvadoran
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Ethnic divisions: mestizo 89%, Indian 10%, white 1%
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Religion: Roman Catholic about 75%, with extensive activity by
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Protestant groups throughout the country (more than 1 million
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Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador at the end of 1990)
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Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
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Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 70%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); agriculture 40%, commerce 16%,
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manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation
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6%, other 1%; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled
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labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)
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Organized labor: total labor force 15%; agricultural labor force
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10%; urban labor force 7% (1987 est.)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
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Type: republic
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Capital: San Salvador
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Administrative divisions: 14 departments (departamentos,
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singular--departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango,
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Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel,
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San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan
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Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 20 December 1983
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Legal system: based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common
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law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts
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compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea
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Legislativa)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alfredo CRISTIANI
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(since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June
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1989)
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Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance
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(ARENA), Armando CALDERON Sol;
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Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fidel CHAVEZ Mena;
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National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda;
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National Democratic Union (UDN), Mario AGUINADA Carranza;
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the Democratic Convergence (CD) is a coalition of three
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parties--the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Wilfredo BARILLAS;
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the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Rene FLORES;
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and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben ZAMORA;
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Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio REY PRENDES;
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Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo GONZALEZ Camacho
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 19 March 1989 (next to be held March 1994);
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results--Alfredo CRISTIANI (ARENA) 53.8%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 36.6%,
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other 9.6%;
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Legislative Assembly--last held 10 March 1991 (next to be
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held March 1994);
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results--ARENA 44.3%, PDC 27.96%, CD 12.16%, PCN 8.99%, MAC 3.23%,
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UDN 2.68%;
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seats--(84 total) ARENA 39, PDC 26, PCN 9, CD 8, UDN 1, MAC 1
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Other political or pressure groups:
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Leftist revolutionary movement--Farabundo Marti National
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Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency, four
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factions--Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National
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Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran
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Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), and Central
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American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation
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Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);
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Leftist political parties--National Democratic Union (UDN),
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National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Movement
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(MPSC);
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FMLN front organizations:
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Labor fronts include--National Union of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS),
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leftist umbrella front group, leads FMLN front network;
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National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), best
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organized of front groups and controlled by FMLN's National Resistance
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(RN); Social Security Institute Workers Union (STISSS), one of the most
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militant fronts, is controlled by FMLN'S Armed Forces of National
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Resistance (FARN) and RN;
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Association of Telecommunications Workers (ASTTEL);
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Centralized Union Federation of El Salvador (FUSS);
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Treasury Ministry Employees (AGEMHA);
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Nonlabor fronts include--Committee of Mothers and Families of Political
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Prisoners, Disappeared Persons, and Assassinated of El Salvador
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(COMADRES);
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Nongovernmental Human Rights Commission (CDHES);
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Committee of Dismissed and Unemployed of El Salvador (CODYDES);
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General Association of Salvadoran University Students (AGEUS);
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National Association of Salvadoran Educators (ANDES-21 DE JUNIO);
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Salvadoran Revolutionary Student Front (FERS), associated with the
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Popular Forces of Liberation (FPL);
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Association of National University Educators (ADUES);
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Salvadoran University Students Front (FEUS);
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Christian Committee for the Displaced of El Salvador (CRIPDES),
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an FPL front;
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The Association for Communal Development in El Salvador (PADECOES),
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controlled by the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP);
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Confederation of Cooperative Associations of El Salvador (COACES);
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Labor organizations--Federation of Construction and Transport
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Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent;
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Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association;
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Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist;
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National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), leftist;
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Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate;
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General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate;
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National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist;
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National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC),
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moderate labor coalition of democratic labor organizations;
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United Workers Front (FUT);
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Business organizations--National Association of Private Enterprise
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(ANEP), conservative;
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Productive Alliance (AP), conservative;
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National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES),
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conservative
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Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
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ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
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LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
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WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA;
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Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
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(202) 265-3480 through 3482; there are Salvadoran Consulates General in
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Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
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US--Ambassador William G. WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte No.
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1230, San Salvador (mailing address is APO Miami 34023); telephone 503
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26-7100
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Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue
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with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
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arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
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SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua which
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has a different coat of arms centered in the white band--it features a
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triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
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AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras
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which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the
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white band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The agricultural sector accounts for 25% of GDP, employs
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about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports.
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Coffee is the major commercial crop, accounting for 45% of export
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earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage
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processing, accounts for 18% of GDP and 15% of employment. Economic
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losses because of guerrilla sabotage total more than $2.0 billion
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since 1979. The costs of maintaining a large military seriously
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constrain the government's efforts to provide essential social services.
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Nevertheless, growth in national output last year exceeded growth in
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population for the first time since 1987.
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GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $1,030; real growth rate 2.8%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 10% (1989)
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Budget: revenues $751 million; expenditures $790 million, including
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capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
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Exports: $571 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--coffee 45%, sugar, cotton, shrimp;
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partners--US 49%, FRG 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
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Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
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commodities--petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs,
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machinery, construction materials, fertilizer;
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partners--US 40%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 7%, FRG 5%,
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Japan 4%
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External debt: $2.1 billion (December 1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 2.4% (1990); accounts for
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22% of GDP
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Electricity: 682,000 kW capacity; 1,849 million kWh produced,
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350 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: food processing, textiles, clothing, beverages,
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petroleum, tobacco products, chemicals, furniture
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Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 40% of labor force
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(including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop;
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other products--sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy
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products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $455 million
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Currency: Salvadoran colon (plural--colones); 1 Salvadoran
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colon (C) = 100 centavos
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Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1--8.0 (April
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1991, floating rate since mid-1990); 5.0000 (fixed rate 1986 to mid-1990)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 602 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track
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Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel,
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4,400 km improved and unimproved earth
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Inland waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
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Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
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Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 116 total, 82 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection
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into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones; stations--77
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AM, no FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police,
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Treasury Police
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,220,088; 780,108 fit for
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military service; 71,709 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $220 million, 3.6% of GDP (1990)
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