El Salvador

Location

• Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
• smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
San Salvador	525,990	Capital
Soyapango	329,708
San Miguel	247,126
Santa Ana	176,661
Mejicanos	160,317
Santa Tecla	124,694
Apopa	112,158
Delgado	71,594
Sonsonate	59,468
San Marcos	54,615

Size

• 8,124 square miles
• 21,040 square kilometers
• about the same size as New Jersey

History

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. El Salvador is beset by one of the world's highest homicide rates and pervasive criminal gangs.

Climate

tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Languages

Spanish (official), Nawat (among some indigenous)major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Roman Catholic 43.9%, Protestant 39.6% (Evangelical - unspecified 38.2%, Evangelical - Methodist 1.3%, Evangelical - Baptist 0.1%), none 16.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2023 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983amendment process: proposals require agreement by absolute majority of the Legislative Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on basic principles, and citizen rights and freedoms cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system with minor common law influence; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)head of government: President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019)cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the presidentelection/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)most recent election date: 4 February 2024election results: 2024: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez reelected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (Nuevas Ideas) 84.7%, Manuel FLORES (FMLN) 6.4%, Joel SANCHEZ (ARENA) 5.6%, Luis PARADA (NT) 2%, other 1.3%2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.7%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.4%, other 0.8%expected date of next election: 28 February 2027; note - on 31 July 2025, the Legislative Assembly voted to move the date of the next presidential election from 2029 to 2027 to bring the presidential election cycle in line with the three-year legislative and municipal election cyclenote: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 15 judges, including its president, and 15 substitute judges organized into Constitutional, Civil, Penal, and Administrative Conflict Chambers)judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Legislative Assembly on the recommendation of both the National Council of the Judicature, an independent body elected by the Legislative Assembly, and the Bar Association; judges elected for 9-year terms, with renewal of one third of membership every 3 years; consecutive reelection is allowedsubordinate courts: Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Asamblea legislativa)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 60 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 3 yearsmost recent election date: 2/4/2024parties elected and seats per party: New Ideas (N) (54); Other (6)percentage of women in chamber: 31.7%expected date of next election: February 2027

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper-middle-income, dollarized Central American economy; reliant on remittances from US; recent growth linked to infrastructure investment, consumption, and crime reduction; $1.3 billion IMF loan to address fiscal imbalances; Bitcoin adopted as legal tender; persistent poverty and large informal sector
• Budget: revenues: $9.359 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $10.313 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
• Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, maize, milk, chicken, sorghum, beans, oranges, coconuts, eggs, mangoes/guavas (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 57.7% (2022 est.)arable land: 34.8% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 7.7% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 15.2% (2022 est.)forest: 27.7% (2022 est.)other: 14.5% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, packaged medicine, plastics (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 28%, China 15%, Guatemala 11%, Mexico 8%, Honduras 5% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: garments, plastic products, electrical capacitors, raw sugar, toilet paper (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 36%, Guatemala 17%, Honduras 15%, Nicaragua 8%, Costa Rica 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports