Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic coordinates: 13 50 N, 88 55 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 21,040 sq km water: 320 sq km land: 20,720 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries: total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km,
Honduras 342 km
Coastline: 307 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 12% other: 61% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 360 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes
very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
to hurricanes
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
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
Geography - note: smallest Central American country and only one without
a coastline on Caribbean Sea
People El Salvador
Population: 6,353,681 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 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.)
Population growth rate: 1.83% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 28.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 74.11 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 25,000 (2000 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,300 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic groups: mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%
Religions: 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
Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Literacy: definition: age 10 and over can read and write total
population: 71.5% male: 73.5% female: 69.8% (1995 est.)
Government El Salvador
Country name: Republic of El Salvador conventional short form:
El Salvador
Government type: republic
Capital: San Salvador
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
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution: 23 December 1983
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
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: 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%
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected
by the Legislative Assembly)
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]
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
International organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rene
Antonio LEON Rodriguez consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco telephone: [1]
(202) 265-9671 chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Rose M. LIKINS embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elenal, Antiguo Cuscatlan,
La Libertad, San Salvador mailing address: 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
Economy El Salvador
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. Growth in 2002
will depend largely on the speed of recovery in the US.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $28.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10% industry: 30% services:
60% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 48% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 50.8 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.35 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 30%, industry 15%, services 55%
(1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.1 billion expenditures: $2.5 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer,
textiles, furniture, light metals
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.69 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 42.3% hydro: 35.5%
other: 22.2% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.07 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 112 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 750 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed,
cotton, sorghum; shrimp; beef, dairy products
Exports: $2.9 billion (2001)
Exports - commodities: offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp,
textiles, chemicals, electricity
Exports - partners: US 65%, Guatemala 11%, Honduras 8%, EU 5% (2000)
Imports: $5 billion (2001)
Imports - commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods,
fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity
Imports - partners: US 50%, Guatemala 10%, EU 7%, Mexico 5%, (2000)
Debt - external: $4.9 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: total $252 million; $57 million from US
(1999 est.)
Currency: Salvadoran colon (SVC); US dollar (USD)
Currency code: SVC; USD
Exchange rates: 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
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications El Salvador
Telephones - main lines in use: 380,000 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 40,163 (1997)
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters), FM 30, shortwave 0
(1998)
Radios: 2.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1997)
Televisions: 600,000 (1990)
Internet country code: .sv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (2000)
Internet users: 40,000 (2000)
Transportation El Salvador
Railways: 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.)
Highways: total: 10,029 km paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of
expressways) unpaved: 8,043 km (1997)
Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
Ports and harbors: Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union,
Puerto El Triunfo
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 83 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 79 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under
914 m: 62 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military El Salvador
Military branches: Army, Navy (FNES), Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,500,712 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 951,715
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 68,103
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $112 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (FY99)
Transnational Issues El Salvador
Disputes - international: 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
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of
marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic cocaine abuse on
the rise
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Ethiopia
Introduction
Ethiopia
Background: Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian
monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being
the Italian occupation of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg,
deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established
a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought,
and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled by a
coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front (EPRDF), in 1991. A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's
first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year
border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000.
Geography Ethiopia
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,127,127 sq km water: 7,444 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km,
Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m highest
point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash,
natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% other: 89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive
farming and poor management
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was
lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue
Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana)
in northwest Ethiopia
People Ethiopia
Population: 67,673,031 note: estimates for this country explicitly 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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 47.2% (male 16,098,191; female 15,879,065) 15-64 years:
854,023; female 1,034,829) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.64% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 44.31 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 18.04 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: repatriation
of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier
years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali
refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own
countries, continue to return to their homes (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 98.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 45.09 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 6.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 10.63% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3 million (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 280,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%,
Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%,
other 3%-8%
Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic,
other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 35.5% male: 45.5% female: 25.3% (1995 est.)
Government Ethiopia
Country name: conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic
of Ethiopia
Ityop'iya former: Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik abbreviation: FDRE
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular -
kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular -
astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara, Binshangul Gumuz,
Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch, Hareri Hizb, Oromiya, Sumale (Somali),
Tigray, YeDebub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations,
Nationalities, and Peoples Region)
Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest
in the world - at least 2,000 years
National holiday: National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
Constitution: ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995
Legal system: currently transitional mix of national and regional courts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since
8 October 2001) head
Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995) cabinet: ministers
are selected by the prime minister and approved by the House
of People's Representatives elections: president elected by the House
of People's Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8
October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); prime minister designated
by the party in power following legislative elections election results:
People's Representatives - 100%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House
of Federation or upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by
state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's
Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected
by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005) note:
irregularities and violence at a number of polling stations necessitated
the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed
in Somali regional state because of severe drought election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27,
EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6,
BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8;
note - 43 seats unconfirmed
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president
of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister
and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other
federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal
Judicial Administrative Council)
Political parties and leaders: Afar National Democratic Party or
ANDP [leader NA]; All-Amhara People's Organization or AAPO [HAILU
Shawel]; Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse];
Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA];
Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA];
Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [ADMASSU Gebeyehu]; Ethiopian People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of
ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic
Fund or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement
orGNDM [leader NA]; Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO
[leader NA]; Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA]; Oromo
Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa Gudina]; Oromo National Congress
or ONC [MERERA Gudina]; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO
[JUNEDI Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader
NA]; South Ethiopia People's Democratic Front or SEPDF [KASSU Yilala];
South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrayan
People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa,
Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA];
dozens of small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Council of Alternative Forces
for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern
Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
KASSAHUN Ayele chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC
20008 FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Tibor P. NAGY, Jr. embassy: Entoto Street,
P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone:
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow,
and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from
the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three
bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three
main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries
upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
Economy Ethiopia