Brief information about El Salvador
Geography
The Republic of El Salvador, with a population of 6,400,000( 2015 estimated) is the smallest of the Spanish speaking republics, is situated in the center of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Honduras (342 km) on the North and East, by Guatemala (203 km) on the West, and by the Pacific Ocean (307 km) on the South. More or less of rectangular shape, it covers an area of about 8,124 square miles.
The tropical climate of El Salvador is a very pleasant one. The minimum and maximum temperature ranges from 50º to 85º Fahrenheit with an all year average of 73º. The rainfall annual average is 67 inches. The rainy season is from May to October and the dry season from November to April.
Spanish is the official language of the country. Nowadays, English is widely spoken due to many foreign companies have been established in El Salvador after 1995, and for the coming years more foreign firms are expected to start operations taking advantage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement signed between El Salvador and The United States of America
Infrastructure
Airports. El Salvador has one of the safest and most modern airports in Latin America; it is located in the coastal valley, with 17 boarding gates providing services to over 15 airlines. It has a current traffic of 1.3 million passengers and over 25,000 commercial flights annually (passengers & cargo). It offers excellent conditions for incoming and outgoing cargo shipments and connections between all continents. The cargo terminal has 3 parking positions that could handle all types of cargo freighters. Among the cargo freighters there are 3 couriers servicing the country. Due to its privileged and strategic location, it provides optimal climate for air operations all year round. It is connected to the main cities of El Salvador through a modern highway system.
Hotels. There are luxury, first class and tourist class hotels, as well as mountain, lakes and beach resorts. At the present time, there are 270 hotels duly registered in the Salvadoran Institute of Tourism. Among the international hotels established in El Salvador are: Radisson, Sheraton, Real Intercontinental, Hilton, Princess, Comfort, Holiday Inn, and many more.
Sea Ports – Acajutla is the most important port located in Sonsonate the West region of El Salvador with a new dock to increase the capacity for large-draft ships.
Currently, the port of La Unión is under re-construction to become a Mega Port and one of the most modern in Latin America. The project includes the construction of an eight hundred meter long pier for merchant ships and oil tankers, a pier dedicated for passenger ships. It also includes the construction of an airport, industrial parks and areas for tourism and recreational purposes.
Electric Power. The major sources of electric power in El Salvador are from 4 hydro-electric dams. Three of them constructed along the Río Lempa and its tributaries producing 4.158 billion KWH; Also a modern geothermical plant.
Road System. El Salvador has a modern road network. It has over 2000 km of interstate highways, and 8,000 km of secondary roads, which connect all principal cities as well as the neighbouring countries.
The Media. El Salvador has 61 AM and 30 FM radio broadcast stations, and 12 TV stations (11 private and 1 public); five major newspapers and various magazines and specialized publications. El Salvador has access to international cables systems through 4 operating companies.
Communications. El Salvador has a large network of telecommunications that include: Internet, Telephone, Fax, Cellular (handy), General Radio Communication; Most of the businesses use email accounts. Private Radio License for enterprises also can be obtained.
Government structure in El Salvador
El Salvador is a democratic and representative Republic with a political stability due to its democratic governments. The government is divided into three branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The Executive branch is vested in the President of the Republic elected by direct popular vote for five-year terms; the President is both the chief of state and head of government; the Council of Ministers is selected by the President. The Legislative power is vested in a unicameral Legislative Assembly with its 84 members elected also by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms. The Judicial power is composed by the Judicial Supreme Court consisting of 15 Magistrates selected by the Legislative Assembly.
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | USD 24.26 Billion (Dec, 2014) |
| Gross Domestic Product per cápita | USD 3.875.20 (Dec, 2014) |
| GDP real growth | 2.0 percent |
| Inflation | 1.32 percent (march 2015) |
| Local Currency | The US dollar became El Salvador’s currency in 2001 |
| Capital City | San Salvador |
| Population | 6.4 Million (Dec 2014) |
| Language | Spanish – The English language is widely spoken. |
| Ethnic Groups | Mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, White 9% |
| Area | 21,040 square kilometers |
| Most 5 important sources of import | USA 41.2%, Guatemala 9.5%, México 6.9%, China6.9%,Honduras 5.3%,Resto del Mundo 14.3%. (Sep 14) |
| Most Top 5 export markets | USA 46.2 %, Honduras 14.1%, Guatemala 13%, Nicaragua 6.1%, Costa Rica 4.5% (Sep 14) |
Fuente: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador
