El Salvador (2001) | Cambodia (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 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 | 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pailin*, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu*, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
37.68% (male 1,198,623; female 1,151,584) 15-64 years: 57.27% (male 1,693,865; female 1,878,254) 65 years and over: 5.05% (male 142,345; female 172,991) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 39.3% (male 2,606,568; female 2,557,736)
15-64 years: 57.6% (male 3,599,216; female 3,962,520) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 148,287; female 250,437) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products | rice, rubber, corn, vegetables |
Airports | 83 (2000 est.) | 21 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
79 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 62 (2000 est.) |
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total:
21,040 sq km land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km |
total: 181,040 sq km
land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly smaller than Oklahoma |
Background | El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost the lives of some 75,000 people, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms. | Following a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off almost 20 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces in 1998. |
Birth rate | 28.67 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 27.28 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$1.8 billion expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues: $396 million
expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $254 million (2001 est.) |
Capital | San Salvador | Phnom Penh |
Climate | tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 307 km | 443 km |
Constitution | 23 December 1983 | promulgated 21 September 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of El Salvador conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic |
Currency | Salvadoran colon (SVC); US dollar (USD) | riel (KHR) |
Death rate | 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $4.1 billion (2000 est.) | $829 million (1999 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS embassy: Boulevard Santa Elena Final, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 278-4444 FAX: [503] 278-6011 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Aaron RAY
embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 216-436/438 FAX: [855] (23) 216-437/811 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Boston |
chief of mission: Ambassador ROLAND ENG
chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381 |
Disputes - international | with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required | completed boundary demarcation with Thailand; accuses Vietnam of moving and destroying boundary markers and encroachments, initiating border incidents; accuses Thailand of preventing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; maritime boundary with Vietnam hampered by dispute over offshore islands |
Economic aid - recipient | total $252 million; $57 million from US (1999 est.) | $548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors |
Economy - overview | El Salvador is a struggling Central American economy which has been suffering from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and the devastating earthquakes of early 2001, and weak world coffee prices. On the bright side, in recent years inflation has fallen to single digit levels, and total exports have grown substantially. The trade deficit has been offset by remittances (an estimated $1.6 billion in 2000) from Salvadorans living abroad and by external aid. As of 1 January 2001, the US dollar was made legal tender alongside the colon. | Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 5.0%. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5.0% in 2000, 6.3% in 2001, and 5.2% in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in 2001 before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Even given these stout growth estimates, the long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. The government is addressing these issues with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors. |
Electricity - consumption | 3.638 billion kWh (1999) | 110.6 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 208 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 460 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 3.641 billion kWh (1999) | 119 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
45.65% hydro: 41.01% nuclear: 0% other: 13.34% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 65%
hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes; Hurricane Mitch damage | illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; toxic waste delivery from Taiwan sparked unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December 1998 |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping |
Ethnic groups | mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9% | Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4% |
Exchange rates | Salvadoran colones per US dollar - 8.755 (fixed rate since 1993) | riels per US dollar - 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001), 3,840.75 (2000), 3,807.83 (1999), 3,744.42 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June 1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: Francisco FLORES Perez elected president; percent of vote - Francisco FLORES (ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%, Ruben ZAMORA (CDU) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5% |
chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 1993) and TOL LAH (since 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king |
Exports | $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity | timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish |
Exports - partners | US 63%, Guatemala 11%, Honduras 7%, Costa Rica 4% (1999) | US 60.2%, Germany 9.1%, UK 7.1%, Singapore 4.4% (2002) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $24 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $20.42 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
12% industry: 28% services: 60% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20% services: 40% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 4.5% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 50 N, 88 55 W | 13 00 N, 105 00 E |
Geography - note | smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap |
Heliports | 1 (2000 est.) | 2 (2002) |
Highways | total:
10,029 km paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways) unpaved: 8,043 km (1997) |
total: 12,323 km
paved: 1,996 km unpaved: 10,327 km (2000 est) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
1.2% highest 10%: 38.3% (1995) |
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1997) |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic drug abuse on the rise | narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders |
Imports | $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity | petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles |
Imports - partners | US 52%, Guatemala 9%, Mexico 6%, Costa Rica 3% (1999) | Thailand 24.8%, Singapore 16.9%, China 12.1%, Hong Kong 10.9%, South Korea 5.5%, Vietnam 5.2% (2002) |
Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) | 9 November 1953 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2000 est.) | 16% (2001 est.) |
Industries | food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals | tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 75.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 84.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 3.3% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 4 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 1,200 sq km (1993 est.) | 2,700 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly) | Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority |
Labor force | 2.35 million (1999) | 6 million (1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 30%, industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.) | agriculture 80% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km |
Land use | arable land:
27% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 29% forests and woodland: 5% other: 31% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 20.96%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 78.43% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) | Khmer (official) 95%, French, English |
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 | primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - ARENA 36.1%, FMLN 35.14%, PCN 8.76%, PDC 7.08%, CD 5.32%, PAN 3.75%, USC 1.47%, PLD 1.29%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 31, PCN 14, PDC 5, CD 3, PAN 1, independent 2 |
bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2007); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held in 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73, FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (2003) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
70.03 years male: 66.43 years female: 73.81 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 57.92 years
male: 55.49 years female: 60.47 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 10 and over can read and write total population: 71.5% male: 73.5% female: 69.8% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9% male: 80.5% female: 60.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
200 NM |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 527 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,328,371 GRT/3,294,028 DWT
ships by type: bulk 49, cargo 412, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 4, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Aruba 1, Belize 11, Bulgaria 3, Cambodia 194, Canada 4, China 25, Cyprus 14, Egypt 10, Estonia 2, France 1, Georgia 1, Germany 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 13, Honduras 8, Hong Kong 12, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Ireland 1, Italy 2, Japan 2, Jordan 1, North Korea, 1, South Korea, 25, Latvia 3, Lebanon 6, Liberia 7, Malaysia 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Panama 10, Romania 2, Russia 75, Saint Kitts and Nevis 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 17, Syria 20, Turkey 18, Ukraine 16, United Arab Emirates 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 5, Vietnam 3 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Army, Navy, Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $112 million (FY99) | $112 million (FY01 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% (FY99) | 3% (FY01 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,464,898 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 3,275,533 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
929,263 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,829,535 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
68,103 (2001 est.) |
males: 165,395 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) | Independence Day, 9 November (1953) |
Nationality | noun:
Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran |
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian |
Natural hazards | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts |
Natural resources | hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land | timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential |
Net migration rate | -3.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Democratic Convergence or CD (includes PSD, MNR, MPSC) [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Democratic Party or PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Fabio CASTILLO]; 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 [Walter ARAUJO]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president] | Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | 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 | NA |
Population | 6,237,662 (July 2001 est.) | 13,124,764
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 48% (1999 est.) | 36% (1997 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.85% (2001 est.) | 1.8% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo | Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999) |
Radios | 2.75 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
562 km narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge note: length of route which is operational is reduced to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintainance (2001) |
total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 86%
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 |
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System |
general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little telephone service
domestic: NA international: adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 380,000 (1998) | 21,800 (mid-1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 40,163 (1997) | 80,000 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (1997) | 6 (2003) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau | mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north |
Total fertility rate | 3.34 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.58 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (2000 est.) | 2.8% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | Rio Lempa partially navigable | 3,700 km
note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m |