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

Data code ES

Government type republic

National 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 20 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
note: Legislative Assembly passed landmark judicial reforms in 1996

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Armando CALDERON Sol (since 1 June 1994); Vice President Enrique BORGO Bustamante (since 1 June 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 20 March 1994, with a run-off election held 24 April 1994 (next to be held NA March 1999)
election results: Armando CALDERON Sol elected president; percent of vote - Armando CALDERON Sol (ARENA) 49.03%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 24.09%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 16.39%, other 10.49%; because no candidate received a majority, a run-off election was held and the results were as follows - Armando CALDERON Sol (ARENA) 68.35%, Ruben ZAMORA Rivas (CD/FMLN/MNR) 31.65%

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 16 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - ARENA 35.4%, FMLN 34.3%, PCN 8.1%, PDC 7.9%, CD 3.8%, PRSC 3.4%, PLD 3.2%, MU 2.1%, PD 1.0%, other 0.8%; seats by party - ARENA 28, FMLN 27, PCN 9, PDC 8, PRSC 3, CD 2, PLD 2, MU 1, PD 1, independent 3

Judicial branch Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly

Political parties and leaders National Republican Alliance or ARENA [Alfredo CRISTIANI]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Facundo GUARDADO, general coordinator]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Ronal UMANA, secretary general; title in dispute]; National Conciliation Party or PCN [Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, secretary general]; Democratic Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general]; Popular Labor Party or PPL [Jose VILANOVA, secretary general]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo SALGADO, president]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by union of the PRSC, MU, and MSN) [Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]; Democratic Party or PD [Ana Guadeloupe MARTINEZ, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders
labor organizations: National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers (CNTS) National Union of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS); Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar, Transport and other activities (FESINCONTRANS); Salvadoran Workers Central (CTS); Port Industry Union of El Salvador (SIPES); Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador (SIES); Workers Union of Electrical Corporation (STCEL)
business organizations: Salvadoran Industrial Association (ASI) Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association (ASIC); National Association of Small Enterprise (ANEP)

International organization participation BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Rene A. LEON
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671, 9672
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Boston

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Anne W. PATTERSON
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena, Station Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 278-4444
FAX: [503] 278-6011

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

NOTE: The information regarding El Salvador on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of El Salvador Government 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about El Salvador Government 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.