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Compare El Salvador (2008) - China (2007)

Compare El Salvador (2008) z China (2007)

 El Salvador (2008)China (2007)
 El SalvadorChina
Administrative divisions 14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)


provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)


autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)


municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin


note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
Age structure 0-14 years: 36.1% (male 1,281,889/female 1,228,478)


15-64 years: 58.7% (male 1,942,674/female 2,134,154)


65 years and over: 5.2% (male 158,276/female 202,602) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 143,527,634/female 126,607,344)


15-64 years: 71.7% (male 487,079,770/female 460,596,384)


65 years and over: 7.9% (male 49,683,856/female 54,356,900) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish
Airports 65 (2007) 467 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
total: 403


over 3,047 m: 58


2,438 to 3,047 m: 128


1,524 to 2,437 m: 130


914 to 1,523 m: 20


under 914 m: 67 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 61


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 48 (2007)
total: 64


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 13


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 26 (2007)
Area total: 21,040 sq km


land: 20,720 sq km


water: 320 sq km
total: 9,596,960 sq km


land: 9,326,410 sq km


water: 270,550 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts slightly smaller than the US
Background 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. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Birth rate 26.13 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 13.45 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.464 billion


expenditures: $3.605 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $482.2 billion


expenditures: $515.8 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: San Salvador


geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Beijing


geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E


time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone
Climate tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Coastline 307 km 14,500 km
Constitution 20 December 1983 most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
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: People's Republic of China


conventional short form: China


local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo


local short form: Zhongguo


abbreviation: PRC
Death rate 5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $5.444 billion (December 2007) $315 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. GLAZER


embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador


mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023


telephone: [503] 2278-4444


FAX: [503] 2278-5522
chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.


embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing


mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002


telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831


FAX: [86] (10) 6532-3178


consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez


chancery: 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671


FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Elizabeth (New Jersey), Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (2), Nogales (Arizona), Santa Ana (California), San Francisco, Washington, DC


consulate(s): Boston
chief of mission: Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong


chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Disputes - international International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, in 1992, with final agreement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; 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 based on principles drafted in 2005, China and India continue discussions to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a boundary alignment to resolve substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lies in Bhutan's northwest; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" eased tensions in the Spratly's but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly's and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan continue to reject both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in dispute with North Korea; China seeks to stem illegal migration of North Koreans; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation remains stalled; in 2004, international environmentalist and political pressure from Burma and Thailand prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River
Economic aid - recipient $267.6 million of which $55 million from US (2005) $NA (2005)
Economy - overview The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been modest in recent years. Robust growth in non-traditional exports have offset declines in the maquila exports, while remittances and external aid offset the trade deficit from high oil prices and strong import demand for consumer and intermediate goods. El Salvador leads the region in remittances per capita with inflows equivalent to nearly all export income. Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which El Salvador was the first to ratify, has strengthened an already positive export trend. With the adoption of the US dollar as its currency in 2001, El Salvador lost control over monetary policy and must concentrate on maintaining a disciplined fiscal policy. The current government has pursued economic diversification, with some success in promoting textile production, international port services, and tourism through tax incentives. It is committed to opening the economy to trade and investment, and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending to telecom, electricity distribution, banking, and pension funds. In late 2006, the government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a five-year, $461 million compact to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty in the country's northern region through investments in education, public services, enterprise development, and transportation infrastructure. China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion, including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets in 2005. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2006 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 130 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 million to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. In 2006 China had the largest current account surplus in the world - nearly $180 billion. More power generating capacity came on line in 2006 as large scale investments were completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River was essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The 11th Five-Year Program (2006-10), approved by the National People's Congress in March 2006, calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.
Electricity - consumption 5.319 billion kWh (2006) 2.197 trillion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 111.1 million kWh (2007) 11.19 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 38.6 million kWh (2007) 5.011 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 5.316 billion kWh (2006) 2.372 trillion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1% Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Exchange rates the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001 yuan per US dollar - 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma Albanez DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez (since 1 June 2004); Vice President Ana Vilma Albanez DE ESCOBAR (since 1 June 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 21 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2009)


election results: Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez elected president; percent of vote - Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez 57.7%, Schafik HANDAL 35.6%, Hector SILVA 3.9%, other 2.8%
chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003); Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)


head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice Premier WU Yi (17 March 2003), Vice Premier ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and Vice Premier HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)


cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)


elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held in mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress


election results: HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (4 delegates voted against him, 4 abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); 2 seats were vacant
Exports 4,963 bbl/day (2006) 443,300 bbl/day (2005)
Exports - commodities offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel
Exports - partners US 49.5%, Guatemala 14.4%, Honduras 8.8%, Nicaragua 5% (2006) US 21%, Hong Kong 16%, Japan 9.5%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany 4.2% (2006)
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 red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10.2%


industry: 29.3%


services: 60.5% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 11.7%


industry: 48.9%


services: 39.3%


note: industry includes construction (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.7% (2007 est.) 11.1% (official data) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 13 50 N, 88 55 W 35 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak
Heliports 1 (2007) 35 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 38.8% (2002)
lowest 10%: 1.6%


highest 10%: 34.9% (2004)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry
Imports 45,210 bbl/day (2006) 3.181 million bbl/day (2005)
Imports - commodities raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel
Imports - partners US 32.2%, Guatemala 9.3%, Mexico 7.4%, Germany 6.3%, China 4.7% (2006) Japan 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Taiwan 10.9%, US 7.5%, Germany 4.8% (2006)
Independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain) 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2007 est.) 22.9% (2006 est.)
Industries food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites
Infant mortality rate total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 25.76 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 19.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 22.12 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.9% (2007 est.) 1.7% (2006 est.)
International organization participation BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE, BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 450 sq km (2003) 545,960 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (15 judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly; the 15 judges are assigned to four Supreme Court chambers - constitutional, civil, penal, and administrative conflict) Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and local courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts)
Labor force 2.87 million (2007 est.) 795.3 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 19%


industry: 23%


services: 58% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 45%


industry: 24%


services: 31% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 545 km


border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
total: 22,117 km


border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km


regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km
Land use arable land: 31.37%


permanent crops: 11.88%


other: 56.75% (2005)
arable land: 14.86%


permanent crops: 1.27%


other: 83.87% (2005)
Languages Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Legal system based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 2006 (next to be held in March 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ARENA 34, FMLN 32, PCN 10, PDC 6, CD 2
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held in late 2007-February 2008)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.78 years


male: 68.18 years


female: 75.57 years (2007 est.)
total population: 72.88 years


male: 71.13 years


female: 74.82 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 10 and over can read and write


total population: 80.2%


male: 82.8%


female: 77.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 90.9%


male: 95.1%


female: 86.5% (2000 census)
Location Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine - total: 1,775 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,219,786 GRT/33,819,636 DWT


by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 415, cargo 689, carrier 3, chemical tanker 62, combination ore/oil 2, container 157, liquefied gas 35, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 84, petroleum tanker 250, refrigerated cargo 33, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 8, vehicle carrier 17


foreign-owned: 12 (Ecuador 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 6, Japan 2, South Korea 1, Norway 1)


registered in other countries: 1,366 (Bahamas 9, Bangladesh 1, Belize 107, Bermuda 10, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 166, Cyprus 10, France 5, Georgia 4, Germany 2, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 309, India 1, Indonesia 2, Liberia 32, Malaysia 1, Malta 13, Marshall Islands 3, Mongolia 3, Norway 47, Panama 473, Philippines 2, Sierra Leone 8, Singapore 19, St Vincent and The Grenadines 106, Thailand 1, Turkey 1, Tuvalu 25, unknown 33) (2007)
Military branches Salvadoran Army (ES), Salvadoran Navy (FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2008) People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5% (2006) 4.3% (2006)
National holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
Nationality noun: Salvadoran(s)


adjective: Salvadoran
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)


adjective: Chinese
Natural hazards known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence
Natural resources hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Net migration rate -3.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 22,664 km; oil 15,256 km; refined products 6,106 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU); Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Elias Antonio SACA Gonzalez]; Popular Social Christian Party or PPSC [Rene AGUILUZ]; Revolutionary Democratic Front or FDR [Julio Cesar HERNANDEZ Carcamo] Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP
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 no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups
Population 6,948,073 (July 2007 est.) 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 30.7% (2006 est.) 10% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 1.699% (2007 est.) 0.606% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 52, FM 144, shortwave 0 (2005) AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)
Railways total: 562 km


narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge


note: railways not in operation since 2005 because of disuse and lack of maintenance due to high costs (2007)
total: 75,438 km


standard gauge: 75,438 km 1.435-m gauge (20,151 km electrified) (2005)
Religions 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
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%


note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.781 male(s)/female


total population: 0.949 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.134 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.914 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: the four mobile-cellular service providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2006 mobile-cellular density stood at roughly 55 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition


domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system


international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
general assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; 3 of China's 6 major telecommunications operators are part of an international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation optical cable system directly linking the US mainland and China


domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet subscribership reached 50 million in 2006; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place


international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.037 million (2006) 368 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3.852 million (2006) 461.1 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 5 (1997) 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
Total fertility rate 3.08 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.6% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2007 est.) 4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (2005)
Waterways Rio Lempa partially navigable for small craft (2007) 124,000 km navigable (2006)
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