Pakistan (2001) | El Salvador (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas |
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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
40.47% (male 30,131,400; female 28,391,891) 15-64 years: 55.42% (male 40,977,543; female 39,164,663) 65 years and over: 4.11% (male 2,918,872; female 3,032,270) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.4% (male 1,211,156; female 1,162,317)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,735,744; female 1,922,395) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 144,864; female 177,205) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs | coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products |
Airports | 117 (2000 est.) | 83 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
82 over 3,047 m: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2000 est.) |
total: 78
914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 61 (2002) |
Area | total:
803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km |
total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of California | slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
Background | The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. | 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. |
Birth rate | 31.21 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 28.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$8.9 billion expenditures: $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) (2001 est.) |
Capital | Islamabad | San Salvador |
Climate | mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north | tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
Coastline | 1,046 km | 307 km |
Constitution | 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999 | 23 December 1983 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan conventional short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan |
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador |
Currency | Pakistani rupee (PKR) | Salvadoran colon (SVC); US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $38 billion (2000 est.) | $4.9 billion (2001 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador William B. MILAM embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 telephone: [92] (51) 2080-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 2276427 consulate(s) general: Karachi consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar |
chief of mission: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Urbanizacion Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023 telephone: [503] 278-4444 FAX: [503] 278-6011 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Maleeha LODHI chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6200 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0484 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | status of Kashmir with India; water-sharing problems with India over the Indus River (Wular Barrage) | El Salvador claims tiny Conejo Island off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca; many of the "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary remain undemarcated despite ICJ adjudication in 1992; 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | $2 billion (FY99/00) | total $252 million; $57 million from US (1999 est.) |
Economy - overview | Pakistan is a poor, heavily populated country, suffering from internal political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation with neighboring India. Pakistan's economic outlook continues to be marred by its weak foreign exchange position, which relies on international creditors for hard currency inflows. The MUSHARRAF government will face an estimated $21 billion in foreign debt coming due in 2000-03, despite having rescheduled nearly $2 billion in debt with Paris Club members. Foreign loans and grants provide approximately 25% of government revenue, but debt service obligations total nearly 50% of government expenditure. Although Pakistan successfully negotiated a $600 million IMF Stand-By Arrangement, future loan installments will be jeopardized if Pakistan misses critical IMF benchmarks on revenue collection and the fiscal deficit. MUSHARRAF has complied largely with IMF recommendations to raise petroleum prices, widen the tax net, privatize public sector assets, and improve the balance of trade. However, Pakistan's economic prospects remain uncertain; too little has changed despite the new administration's intentions. Foreign exchange reserves hover at roughly $1 billion, GDP growth hinges on crop performance, the import bill has been hammered by high oil prices, and both foreign and domestic investors remain wary of committing to projects in Pakistan. | 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. Growth in 2002 will depend largely on the speed of recovery in the US. |
Electricity - consumption | 57.732 billion kWh (1999) | 4.07 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 112 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 750 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 62.078 billion kWh (1999) | 3.69 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
63.38% hydro: 36.51% nuclear: 0.11% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 42%
hydro: 36% nuclear: 0% other: 22% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
Environment - current issues | water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban |
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 |
Ethnic groups | Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) | mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9% |
Exchange rates | Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.152 (January 2001), 52.814 (2000), 49.118 (1999), 44.943 (1998), 40.918 (1997), 35.909 (1996) | Salvadoran colones per US dollar - 8.750 (fixed since January 2001), 8.755 (fixed rate since 1993)
note: since January 2001 the US dollar has also become legal tender; the exchange rate has been fixed at 8.75 colones per US dollar |
Executive branch | note:
following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; exercising the powers of the head of the government, he appointed an eight-member National Security Council to function as Pakistan's supreme governing body; President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR remains the ceremonial chief of state; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date chief of state: President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR (since 31 December 1997) head of government: Chief Executive Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 October 1999) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief executive elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly; election last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA); note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF in the military takeover of 12 October 1999; in May 2000, the Supreme Court validated the October 1999 coup and set a three-year limit in office for Chief Executive MUSHARRAF election results: Rafiq TARAR elected president; percent of Parliament and provincial vote - NA%; results are for the last election for prime minister prior to the military takeover of 12 October 1999 - Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - NA% |
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: Council of Ministers 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 (CD) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5% |
Exports | $8.6 billion (f.o.b., FY99/00) | $2.9 billion (2001) |
Exports - commodities | textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn), rice, other agricultural products | offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity |
Exports - partners | US 24%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 6% (FY99/00) | US 65%, Guatemala 11%, Honduras 8%, EU 5% (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $282 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28.4 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
25.4% industry: 24.9% services: 49.7% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 10%
industry: 30% services: 60% (2000) (2000) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2000 est.) | 1.4% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 30 00 N, 70 00 E | 13 50 N, 88 55 W |
Geography - note | controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent | smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea |
Heliports | 8 (2000 est.) | 1 (2002) |
Highways | total:
247,811 km paved: 141,252 km (including 339 km of expressways) unpaved: 106,559 km (1998) |
total: 10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways) unpaved: 8,043 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
4.1% highest 10%: 27.7% (1996) |
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 39% (2001) (2001) |
Illicit drugs | key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets; narcotics still move from Afghanistan into Balochistan Province | transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on the rise |
Imports | $9.6 billion (f.o.b., FY99/00) | $5 billion (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour | raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity |
Imports - partners | Saudi Arabia 8%, UAE 8%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Malaysia 4% (FY99/00) | US 50%, Guatemala 10%, EU 7%, Mexico 5%, (2000) |
Independence | 14 August 1947 (from UK) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.8% (1999 est.) | 3% (2001 est.) |
Industries | textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp | food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals |
Infant mortality rate | 80.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.2% (2000 est.) | 3.8% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | AsDB, C (suspended), CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 30 (2000) | 4 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 171,100 sq km (1993 est.) | 360 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly) |
Labor force | 40 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2000 est.) |
2.35 million (1999) (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 44%, industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.) | agriculture 30%, industry 15%, services 55% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km |
total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
Land use | arable land:
27% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 5% other: 61% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11% other: 60.62% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8% | Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) |
Legal system | based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | 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 |
Legislative branch | note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military takeover of 12 October 1999; bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (87 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years) and the National Assembly (217 seats - 10 represent non-Muslims; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held NA); National Assembly - last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA); note - no timetable has yet been given for elections following the military takeover election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM/A 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 137, PPP 18, MQM/A 12, ANP 10, BNP 3, JWP 2, JUI/F 2, PPP/SB 1, NPP 1, independents 21, minorities 10; note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed Parliament 15 October 1999 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FMLN 31, ARENA 27, PCN 16, PDC 5, CD 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
61.45 years male: 60.61 years female: 62.32 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 70.32 years
male: 66.72 years female: 74.11 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 55.3% female: 29% (1998) |
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 71.5% male: 73.5% female: 69.8% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north | Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
Map references | Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 200 NM |
Merchant marine | total:
17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 240,605 GRT/367,040 DWT ships by type: cargo 13, container 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard | Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $2.435 billion (FY99/00) | $112 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.9% (FY99/00) | 0.7% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
35,770,928 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 1,500,712 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
21,897,366 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 951,715 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
1,657,723 (2001 est.) |
males: 68,103 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Republic Day, 23 March (1956) | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
Nationality | noun:
Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani |
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran |
Natural hazards | frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
Natural resources | land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone | hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
Net migration rate | -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -3.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987) | - |
Political parties and leaders | note:
Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military takeover of 12 October 1999, however, political parties have been allowed to operate; Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Baluch National Party or BNP [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI]; Millat Party [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ], Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP [Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI]; Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed AFZAL Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction or PML/J [Hamid Nasir CHATTHA]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN] note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently |
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general] (includes Social Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO, leader); 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | military remains important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential | 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 |
Population | 144,616,639 (July 2001 est.) | 6,353,681 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2000 est.) | 48% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.11% (2001 est.) | 1.83% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim | Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998) | AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 13.5 million (1997) | 2.75 million (1997) |
Railways | total:
8,163 km broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified; 1,037 km double track) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (1996 est.) (2000) |
total: 562 km
narrow gauge: 562 km 0.914-m gauge note: length of operational route is reduced to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance (2001 est.) |
Religions | Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3% | Roman Catholic 83%
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 |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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 (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2.861 million (March 1999) | 380,000 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 158,000 (1998) | 40,163 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997) | 5 (1997) |
Terrain | flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west | mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 4.41 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.29 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6% (FY99/00 est.) | 10% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | Rio Lempa partially navigable |