]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras ^# 13 50 N, 88 55 W ^$ Central America and the Caribbean ^% `! 21,040 sq km `" 20,720 sq km `# 320 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Massachusetts ^' `! 545 km `U Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km ^( 307 km ^) `$ 200 nm ^* tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands ^+ mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau ^, `% Pacific Ocean 0 m `& Cerro El Pital 2,730 m ^- hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land ^. `' 31.85% `( 12.07% `) 56.08% (2001) ^/ 360 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes ^1 deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands `L Law of the Sea ^2 smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea 
]# ^3 6,704,932 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 36.5% (male 1,250,901/female 1,198,589) `+ 58.3% (male 1,860,084/female 2,051,140) `, 5.1% (male 153,133/female 191,085) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 21.57 years `- 20.44 years `. 22.69 years (2005 est.) ^6 1.75% (2005 est.) ^7 27.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.05 male(s)/female `0 1.04 male(s)/female `+ 0.91 male(s)/female `, 0.8 male(s)/female `1 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 25.1 deaths/1,000 live births `- 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births `. 22.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 71.22 years `- 67.61 years `. 75.01 years (2005 est.) ^= 3.16 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 0.7% (2003 est.) ^? 29,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 2,200 (2003 est.) ^A `2 Salvadoran(s) `3 Salvadoran ^B mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1% ^C 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 ^D Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) ^E `M age 10 and over can read and write `1 80.2% `- 82.8% `. 77.7% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of El Salvador `5 El Salvador `V Republica de El Salvador `W El Salvador ^H republic ^I San Salvador ^J 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 ^K 15 September 1821 (from Spain) ^L Independence Day, 15 September (1821) ^M 23 December 1983 ^N 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 ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `6 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 `7 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 `8 Council of Ministers selected by the president `9 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) `: 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% ^Q unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms) `9 last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2006) `: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 28, PCN 15, PDC 5, CD 5 ^R Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly) ^S 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] ^T 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 ^U 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 ^V `N Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez `O 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 `P [1] (202) 265-9671 `Q [1] (202) 234-3834 `R Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), San Francisco, and Washington, DC `g Boston ^W `N Ambassador H. Douglas BARCLAY `Z Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador `[ Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 `P [503] 278-4444 `Q [503] 278-5522 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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. ^Z $32.35 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 1.8% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2004 est.) ^] `; 9.2% `< 31.1% `= 59.7% (2004 est.) ^^ 2.75 million (2004 est.) ^_ agriculture 17.1%, industry 17.1%, services 65.8% (2003 est.) ^` 6.3% - but the economy has much underemployment (2004 est.) ^a 36.1% (2003 est.) _! `> 1.4% `? 39.3% (2001) _d 52.5 (2001) _" 5.4% (2004 est.) _P 16.6% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $2.491 billion `A $2.782 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) _Q 41.7% of GDP (2004 est.) _$ coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products _% food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals _& 0.7% (2004 est.) _' 4.158 billion kWh (2004) _( 4.45 billion kWh (2004) _) 91 million kWh (2004) _* 473 million kWh (2004) _+ 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) _, 39,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _X $-880.5 million (2004 est.) _/ $3.249 billion (2004 est.) _0 offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity _1 US 65.6%, Guatemala 11.8%, Honduras 6.3% (2004) _2 $5.968 billion (2004 est.) _3 raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity _4 US 46.3%, Guatemala 8.1%, Mexico 6% (2004) _Y $1.888 billion (2004 est.) _5 $4.792 billion (September 2004 est.) _6 $125 million of which, $53 million from US (2003) _7 US dollar (USD) _8 the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001 _9 calendar year 
]& _: 752,600 (2003) _; 1,149,800 (2003) _< `B NA `C nationwide microwave radio relay system `D country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System _= AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) _> 5 (1997) _? .sv _@ 4,084 (2003) _A 550,000 (2003) 
]' _e `! 283 km `c 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) _B `! 10,029 km `E 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways) `F 8,043 km (1999 est.) _b Rio Lempa partially navigable (2004) _C Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco _D 73 (2004 est.) _E `! 4 `] 1 `^ 1 `_ 2 (2004 est.) _L `! 69 `_ 15 `T 54 (2004 est.) _\ 1 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force (FAS) _M 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002) _] males age 18-49: 1,391,278 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 960,315 (2005 est.) _^ `` 70,286 (2005 est.) _N $157 million (2003) _O 1.1% (2003) 
]) _H 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 _I transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise 