Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Salvadoran(s); adjective—Salvadoran
Ethnic divisions: 89% mestizo, 10% Indian, 1% white
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic, with activity by Protestant groups throughout the country
Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
Literacy: 65%
Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); 40% agriculture, 16% commerce, 15% manufacturing, 13% government, 9% financial services, 6% transportation; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)
Organized labor: 15% total labor force; 10% agricultural labor force; 7% urban labor force (1987 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
Type: republic
Capital: San Salvador
Administrative divisions: 14 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Ahuachapán, Cabañas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, La Libertad, La Paz, La Unión, Morazán, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulután
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 José Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 1989)
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Armando Calderon Sol; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), José Antonio Morales Erlich; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro Cruz Zepeda; Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo González Camacho; Salvadoran Authentic Institutional Party (PAISA), Roberto Escobar Garcia; Patria Libre (PL), Hugo Barrera; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio Rey Prendes; Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS), Francisco Quiñónez; Democratic Convergence (CD), a coalition composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario René Roldan; the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Guillermo Ungo; and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben Zamora
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 20 March 1988 (next to be held March 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total) ARENA 32, MAC 13, PDC 9, PCN 6
Other political or pressure groups: Leftist revolutionary movement—Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency; 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);
Militant front organizations—Revolutionary Coordinator of Masses (CRM; alliance of front groups), Popular Revolutionary Bloc (BPR), Unified Popular Action Front (FAPU), Popular Leagues of 28 February (LP-28), National Democratic Union (UDN), and Popular Liberation Movement (MLP); Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR), coalition of CRM and Democratic Front (FD); FD consists of moderate leftist groups—Independent Movement of Professionals and Technicians of El Salvador (MIPTES), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC);
Extreme rightist vigilante organizations—Anti-Communist Army (ESA); Maximiliano Hernández Brigade; Organization for Liberation From Communism (OLC); 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; Popular Democratic Unity (UPD), moderate labor coalition which includes FESINCONSTRANS, and other democratic labor organizations; National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist; National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC), moderate labor coalition of democratic labor organizations;
Business organizations—National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP), conservative; Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), conservative
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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 economy experienced a
modest recovery during the period 1983-86,
after a sharp decline in the early
1980s. Real GDP grew by 1.5% a year on
the strength of value added by the
manufacturing and service sectors. In 1987 the
economy expanded by 2.5% as agricultural
output recovered from the 1986
drought. 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, contributing 60% to
export earnings. The manufacturing sector,
based largely on food and beverage
processing, accounts for 17% of GDP and
16% of employment. Economic losses due
to guerrilla sabotage total more than $2.0
