2019 Edition

Background

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.

Area

Land

20,721 sq km

Total

21,041 sq km

Water

320 sq km

Area Comparative

about the same size as New Jersey

Climate

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

Coastline

307 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Lowest Point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean Elevation

442 m

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

Signed But Not Ratified

Law of the Sea

Geographic Coordinates

13 50 N, 88 55 W

Geography Note

smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea

Irrigated Land

452 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Guatemala 199 km, Honduras 391 km

Total

590 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

74.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

33.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

10.9% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

30.7% (2011 est.)

Forest

13.6% (2011 est.)

Other

11.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Map References

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime Claims

Contiguous Zone

24 nm

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanesvolcanism: significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (1,893 m), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (2,130 m), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana

Natural Resources

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Population Distribution

athough it is the smallest country in land area in Central America, El Salvador has a population that is 18 times larger than Belize; at least 20% of the population lives abroad; high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Age Structure

0 14 Years

25.3% (male 802,813 /female 762,852)

15 24 Years

19.88% (male 619,550 /female 610,725)

25 54 Years

39.8% (male 1,143,226 /female 1,319,138)

55 64 Years

7.32% (male 198,513 /female 254,640)

65 Years And Over

7.69% (male 208,817 /female 266,997) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

16.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

5% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

72% (2014)

Current Health Expenditure

7% (2016)

Death Rate

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is well into its demographic transition, experiencing slower population growth, a decline in its number of youths, and the gradual aging of its population. The increased use of family planning has substantially lowered El Salvador's fertility rate, from approximately 6 children per woman in the 1970s to replacement level today. A 2008 national family planning survey showed that female sterilization remained the most common contraception method in El Salvador - its sterilization rate is among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean - but that the use of injectable contraceptives is growing. Fertility differences between rich and poor and urban and rural women are narrowing.Salvadorans fled during the 1979 to 1992 civil war mainly to the United States but also to Canada and to neighboring Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Emigration to the United States increased again in the 1990s and 2000s as a result of deteriorating economic conditions, natural disasters (Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001), and family reunification. At least 20% of El Salvador's population lives abroad. The remittances they send home account for close to 20% of GDP, are the second largest source of external income after exports, and have helped reduce poverty.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

12.4 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

8 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

56.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

44.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

86.5% of population

Improved Total

93.8% of population

Improved Urban

97.5% of population

Unimproved Rural

13.5% of population

Unimproved Total

6.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.5% of population

Education Expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

mestizo 86.3%, white 12.7%, Amerindian 0.2% (includes Lenca, Kakawira, Nahua-Pipil), black 0.1%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.6% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<1000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

25,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

14.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

18.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

16.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official), Nawat (among some Amerindians)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

78.6 years

Male

71.8 years

Total Population

75.1 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

86.3% (2016)

Male

90.3%

Total Population

88.1%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk

high (2016)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

dengue fever (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.106 million SAN SALVADOR (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

46 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

29.1 years

Male

26.1 years

Total

27.6 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

20.8 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Salvadoran

Noun

Salvadoran(s)

Net Migration Rate

-7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

24.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.57 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

6,187,271 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.25% (2018 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

60% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

75% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

82.4% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

40% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

25% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

17.6% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

12 years (2016)

Male

12 years

Total

12 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.87 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.78 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.78 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.92 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.84 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

12.2% (2017)

Male

8.8%

Total

10.1%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

1.57% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

72.7% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

13 42 N, 89 12 W

Name

San Salvador

Time Difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

yes

Citizenship By Descent Only

yes

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

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; amended many times, last in 2018 (2018)

History

many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of El Salvador

Conventional Short Form

El Salvador

Etymology

name is an abbreviation of the original Spanish conquistador designation for the area "Provincia de Nuestro Senor Jesus Cristo, el Salvador del Mundo" (Province of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World), which became simply "El Salvador" (The Savior)

Local Long Form

Republica de El Salvador

Local Short Form

El Salvador

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GOSNEY (since August 2019)

Embassy

Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador

Fax

[503] 2501-2150

Mailing Address

Unit 3450, APO AA 34023; 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450

Telephone

[503] 2501-2999

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

1400 16th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Werner Matias ROMERO Guerra (since 9 June 2019)

Consulate S

Elizabeth (NJ), Newark (NJ), Seattle, Woodbridge (VA)

Consulate's General

Atlanta, Boston, Brentwood (NY), Chicago, Dallas, Doral (FL), Doraville (GA), Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), New York, Nogales (AZ), San Francisco, Silver Spring (MD), Tucson (AZ), Washington, DC, Woodbridge (VA)

Fax

[1] (202) 232-1928

Telephone

[1] (202) 595-7500

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers selected by the president

Chief Of State

President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Felix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

Election Results

Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.72%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.41%, other 0.77%

Elections Appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 5-year term; election last held on 3 February 2019 (next to be held on February 2024)

Head Of Government

President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (since 1 June 2019); Vice President Felix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (since 1 June 2019)

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of cobalt blue (top), white, and cobalt 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; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water, as well as peace and prosperity

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges and 16 substitutes 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 allowed

Subordinate Courts

Appellate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace

Legal System

civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 3-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - ARENA 42.3%, FMLN 24.4%, GANA 11.5%, PCN 10.8%, PDC 3.2%, CD 0.9%, Independent 0.7%, other 6.2%; seats by party - ARENA 37, FMLN 23, GANA 11, PCN 8, PDC 3, CD 1, independent 1; composition -men 58, women 26, percent of women 31%

Elections

last held on 4 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE

Name

"Himno Nacional de El Salvador" (National Anthem of El Salvador)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National Symbol S

turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white

Political Parties And Leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo Antonio PARKER Soto] Democratic Change (Cambio Democratico) or CD [Douglas AVILES] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU) Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ] Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Jose Andres ROVIRA Caneles] National Coalition Party or PCN [Manuel RODRIGUEZ] Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Mauricio INTERIANO] Nuevas Ideas [Federico Gerardo ANLIKER]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products

Budget

Expenditures

6.517 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

5.886 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

6.37%

31 December 2017

6.47%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$500 million

2017

-$501 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$16.32 billion

31 December 2017

$15.51 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2014

38

2016

36

Economy Overview

The smallest country in Central America geographically, El Salvador has the fourth largest economy in the region. With the global recession, real GDP contracted in 2009 and economic growth has since remained low, averaging less than 2% from 2010 to 2014, but recovered somewhat in 2015-17 with an average annual growth rate of 2.4%. Remittances accounted for approximately 18% of GDP in 2017 and were received by about a third of all households.In 2006, El Salvador was the first country to ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, which has bolstered the export of processed foods, sugar, and ethanol, and supported investment in the apparel sector amid increased Asian competition. In September 2015, El Salvador kicked off a five-year $277 million second compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation - a US Government agency aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty - to improve El Salvador's competitiveness and productivity in international markets.The Salvadoran Government maintained fiscal discipline during reconstruction and rebuilding following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005, but El Salvador's public debt, estimated at 59.3% of GDP in 2017, has been growing over the last several years.

Exchange Rates

2017

1

Currency

note: the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy

Exports

2016

$5.42 billion

2017

$4.662 billion

Exports Commodities

offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, textiles and apparel, ethanol, chemicals, electricity, iron and steel manufactures

Exports Partners

US 45.7%, Honduras 13.9%, Guatemala 13.5%, Nicaragua 6.7%, Costa Rica 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

27.6% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

15.8% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

84.5% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-44.9% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

16.9% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

12% (2017 est.)

Industry

27.7% (2017 est.)

Services

60.3% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$24.81 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$7,700

2016

$7,900

2017

$8,000

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$48.75 billion

2016

$50.01 billion

2017

$51.17 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

2.4%

2016

2.6%

2017

2.3%

Gross National Saving

2015

12.4% of GDP

2016

13% of GDP

2017

14.9% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

32.3% (2014 est.)

Lowest 10

2.2%

Imports

2016

$8.954 billion

2017

$9.499 billion

Imports Commodities

raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Imports Partners

US 36.7%, Guatemala 10.5%, China 8.7%, Mexico 7.4%, Honduras 6.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

3.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

0.6%

2017

1%

Labor Force

2.774 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

21%

Industry

20%

Services

58% (2011 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2017

$3.816 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

32.7% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

2016

66.4% of GDP

2017

67.9% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$3.238 billion

31 December 2017

$3.567 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$3.129 billion

31 December 2017

$3.653 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$976.3 million

31 December 2017

$678.7 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$9.197 billion

31 December 2017

$10.28 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$13.71 billion

31 December 2017

$14.22 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$3.129 billion

31 December 2017

$3.653 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

23.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

6.9%

2017

7%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

7.331 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

98.8% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

98.6% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

98.6% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

400,000 (2016)

Electricity Consumption

5.928 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

89.6 million kWh (2017 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

49% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

29% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

1.066 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.983 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

5.83 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

52,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

347 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

49,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

7 (2017 est.)

Total

442,727

Broadcast Media

multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio broadcast stations and 1 government-owned radio broadcast station; transition to digital transmission to begin in 2018 along with adaptation of the Japanese-Brazilian Digital Standard (ISDB-T)

Internet Country Code

.sv

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

29% (July 2016 est.)

Total

1,785,254

Telephone System

Domestic

nationwide microwave radio relay system; growth in fixed-line services 11 per 100, has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competitionat at 162 per 100 (2018)

General Assessment

multiple mobile-cellular began rolling out Long Term Evolution (LTE) data services in late-2016; Internet usage grew almost 400% between 2007 and 2015; 6% of phones are fixed while 94% are mobile (2018)

International

country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

11 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

677,599

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

162 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

9,982,186

Airports

68 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

2 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

5 (2017)

Under 914 M

1 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

11 (2013)

Total

63 (2013)

Under 914 M

51 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

YS (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

other 2 (2018)

Total

2

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

13,873,884 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

2,597,649 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

32 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Major Seaport S

Puerto Cutuco

Oil Terminal S

Acajutla offshore terminal

Railways

Narrow Gauge

12.5 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)

Total

13 km (2014)

Roadways

Paved

5,341 km (2017)

Total

9,012 km (2017)

Unpaved

3,671 km (2017)

Waterways

(Rio Lempa River is partially navigable by small craft) (2011)

Military And Security Forces

Armed Force of El Salvador (Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Army of El Salvador (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Navy of El Salvador (Fuerza Naval de El Salvador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

0.93% of GDP

2015

0.95% of GDP

2016

0.92% of GDP

2017

0.9% of GDP

2018

1.03% of GDP

Military Note

Supporting the National Police in countering gang violence and drug trafficking is a primary mission for the Armed Forces of El Salvador. (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2012)

Disputes International

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, in 1992, with final agreement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca

Illicit Drugs

transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

71,500 (2018)