El Salvador
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{{Infobox_Country
|native_name = República de El Salvador
|conventional_long_name = Republic of El Salvador
|common_name = El Salvador
|image_flag = Flag of El Salvador.svg
|image_coat = El_Salvador_coa.gif
|image_map = LocationElSalvador.png
|national_motto = Dios, Unión, Libertad
(Spanish: God, Union, Liberty)
|national_anthem = Saludemos la Patria orgullosos
|official_languages = Spanish
|capital = San Salvador
|latd=13 |latm=40 |latNS=N |longd=89 |longm=10 |longEW=W
|largest_city = San Salvador
|government_type =
|leader_titles = President
|leader_names = Antonio Saca
|area_rank = 149th
|area_magnitude = 1 E8
|area= 21,040
|areami²= 8,123
|percent_water = 1.5
|population_estimate = 6,822,378
|population_estimate_rank = 98th
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density =318.7
|population_densitymi² =823.6
|population_density_rank = 22nd
|population_infantmortality_rate =24.4/1000
|population_birth_rate =26.6/1000
|GDP|_PPP = $3.586billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 89th
|GDP_PPP_year= 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = 4,379
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 111th
|sovereignty_type = Independence
|established_events = From Spain
From the UPCA
|established_dates =
September 15, 1821
1842
|HDI = 0.722
|HDI_rank = 104th
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category = medium
|currency = US dollar
|currency_code = USD
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = -6
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = .sv
|calling_code = 503
|footnotes =
}}
The Republic of El Salvador (Spanish: República de El Salvador, IPA: Template:IPA) is a country in Central America with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the north and east by Honduras, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador is the most densely populated nation on the American mainland (especially in its capital, San Salvador) and also the most industrialized country in the region. The country was named after the Spanish word for "The Savior" and its territory was known prehispanically as Cuscatlán.
Contents |
History
Main article: History of El Salvador
Image:Tazumal.jpg Civilization in ancient Cuscatlán, in which territory was founded El Salvador in the 16th century, dates from the pre-Columbian time, around 1500 years B.C., according to evidence provided by the Mayan ruins of Tazumal and Chalchuapa. The Spanish Admiral Andrés Niño lead an expedition to Central America and disembarked on the Island Meanguera del Golfo, located in the Gulf of Fonseca, on May 31st, 1522. This was the first Salvadoran territory visited by the Spaniards.
In June, 1524, Spanish Captain Pedro de Alvarado attacked Cuscatlán (land of beautiful jewels) that was populated by the native tribes of the land. After 17 days of bloody battles many natives and Spaniards died. Pedro de Alvarado defeated, and hurt in his left hip, abandoned the fight and ran to Guatemala, telling his brother, Gonzalo de Alvarado, to continue with the conquest of Cuscatlán. Later, his cousin Diego de Alvarado established the villa of San Salvador on April, 1525. King Carlos I of Spain granted San Salvador the title of city in the year 1546. During the following years, El Salvador developed under Spanish dominion within the Kingdom of Guatemala. Towards the end of 1810, a feeling of a need for freedom arose between the people of Central America and the moment to break the chains of colonial government arrived at dawn on November 5th, 1811, when the Salvadoran priest, Jose Matías Delgado, sounded the bells of the Iglesia La Merced in San Salvador, making a call for the insurrection. After many internal fights, the Acta de Independencia (Act of Independence) of Central America was signed in Guatemala on September 15th, 1821.
On September 15, 1821, El Salvador and the other Central American provinces declared their independence from Spain. In 1823, the United Provinces of Central America was formed by the five Central American states under General Manuel José Arce. When this federation was dissolved in 1838, El Salvador became an independent republic. El Salvador's early history as an independent state was marked by frequent revolutions.
From 1872 to 1898 El Salvador was a prime mover in attempts to reestablish an isthmian federation. The governments of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua formed the Greater Republic of Central America via the Pact of Amapala in 1895. Although Guatemala and Costa Rica considered joining the Greater Republic (which was rechristened the United States of Central America when its constitution went into effect in 1898), neither country joined. This union, which had planned to establish its capital city at Amapala on the Golfo de Fonseca, did not survive a seizure of power in El Salvador in 1898.
The enormous profits that coffee yielded as a monoculture export served as an impetus for the process whereby land became concentrated in the hands of an oligarchy of several hundred families. A succession of presidents from the ranks of the Salvadoran oligarchy, nominally both conservative and liberal, throughout the last half of the 19th century generally agreed on the promotion of coffee as the predominant cash crop, on the development of infrastructure (railroads and port facilities) primarily in support of the coffee trade, on the elimination of communal landholdings to facilitate further coffee production, on the passage of anti-vagrancy laws to ensure that displaced campesinos and other rural residents provided sufficient labor for the coffee fincas (plantations), and on the suppression of rural discontent.
The coffee industry grew inexorably in El Salvador. As a result the elite provided the bulk of the government's financial support through import duties on goods imported with the foreign currencies that coffee sales earned. This support, coupled with the humbler and more mundane mechanisms of corruption, ensured the coffee growers of overwhelming influence within the government and the military which they used to create the Guardia Nacional (GN) in 1912. The duties of the GN differed from those of the Policia Nacional (PN), mainly in that GN personnel were specifically responsible for providing security on the coffee fincas and effectively suppressing rural dissent.
A bloodless coup led by General Tomás Regalado took El Salvador into the 20th century. Regalado's peaceful transfer of power in 1903 to his handpicked successor, Pedro José Escalón, ushered in a period of comparative stability that extended until the Depression-provoked upheaval of 1931–32.
In 1930, General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, the country's Minister of Defense, took power in a coup d'état. Soon after, Martínez, now President, suppressed a 1932 revolt consisting of farmers and Indians in the western part of the country. The revolt was conducted by the newly formed Communist Party and its leader Agustín Farabundo Martí. The military conflict left more than 20,000 people dead in retaliatory massacres, which came to be known as "La Matanza;" this marked the beginning of a series of de facto military dictatorships that would rule El Salvador until 1979, when General Humberto Romero of the Party of National Conciliation (PCN) would be overthrown in a reformist coup.
Under the authoritarian rule of Maj. Óscar Osorio (1950–56) and Lt. Col. José María Lemus (1956–60) considerable economic progress was made. Lemus was overthrown by a coup, and after a confused period, a junta composed of leaders of the National Conciliation party came to power in June 1961. The junta's candidate, Lt. Col. Julio Adalberto Rivera, was elected president in 1962. He was succeeded in 1967 by Col. Fidel Sánchez Hernández. Relations with Honduras deteriorated in the late 1960s. There was a border clash in 1967, and a four-day so-called Football war broke out in July 1969. The Salvadoran forces that had invaded Honduras were withdrawn, but not until 1992 was an agreement settling the border controversy with Honduras signed.
Following increasing clashes between the Marxist group Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), El Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) and rightist vigilantes known as death squads, a civil war broke out that would last for twelve years (1980-1992) and claim the lives of approximately 75,000 people. According to the 1993 United Nations' Truth Commission report, over 96% of the human rights violations carried out during the war were committed by the Salvadoran military or the paramilitary death squads, while 3.5% were committed by the FMLN. Nevertheless, it's necessary to say that this report has been criticized as not being objective enough for an institution like the UN, and that much of the information gathered by the Commission was originated in politically biased sources, and did not provide legal and material evidence or proof of its conclusions. During the war, a small group of military advisers from the United States helped to train government forces, which were heavily funded by the U.S. as well. In the meantime, the guerrillas of the FMLN were trained and funded by the communist government of Cuba and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, as well as supported by several eastern european countries and the USSR itself, creating one of the last scenarios of the Cold War. After the fall of Communism in Europe, the conditions for peace negotiations were finally set. A ceasefire was established in 1992 when the rebels of the FMLN and the government of President Alfredo Cristiani of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), signed "Peace accords" on January 16, 1992 that assured political and military reforms and punishment for all human rights abuses during the civil war; death squad activity was virtually eliminated
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated the country, leaving 200 dead and over 30,000 homeless. damaging about 20% of the nation's housing.
El Salvador is known for the many earthquakes that occur within its borders. It has been popularly known as the “Valley of the Hammocks” since colonial times. On January 13, 2001 an earthquake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale caused a landslide that killed more than 800 people. On February 13, 2001, a second earthquake killed 255 people and damaging about 20% of the nation's housing. An even worse disaster beset the country in the summer of 2001 when a severe drought destroyed 80% of the country's crops, causing famine in the countryside.
Geography
Main article: Geography of El Salvador
El Salvador is located in Central America. It has a total area of 8,123 square miles (21,040 km²). It has 123.6 square miles (320 km²) of water within its borders. El Salvador shares borders with Guatemala—126 miles (203 km) and Honduras—212.5 miles (342 km). The highest point in the country is Cerro El Pital at 8,957 feet (2,730 m).
See also List of cities in El Salvador
Politics
Main article: Politics of El Salvador, Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, List of political parties in El Salvador
El Salvador is a democratic republic governed by a president and an 84-member unicameral Legislative Assembly. The president is elected by universal suffrage and serves for a five-year term by absolute majority vote. A second round runoff is required in the event that no candidate receives more than 50% of the first round vote. Members of the assembly (called deputies, diputados), also elected by universal suffrage, although according to closed-list proportional representation, serve for three-year terms. The country has an independent judiciary and Supreme Court.
The current President of El Salvador is Elías Antonio Saca González, elected on 21 March 2004. He took office on 1 June 2004, and his presidential term ends on 1 June 2009.
The current legal system of El Salvador, based on civil and Roman law with traces of common law, came into force with the passage of the constitution on 23 December, 1983.
Political divisions
Image:El Salvador.geohive.gif Template:Main Many early post-colonial rulers, such as Francisco Morazán and Gerardo Barrios, were of French descent and were hence sympathetic to the Napoleonic code, which was successfully adapted to El Salvador. For this reason, the country has French-style territorial divisions. El Salvador is divided into fourteen departments:
Economy
Main article: Economy of El Salvador Image:Colon.jpg Image:USCurrency Federal Reserve.jpg By 2005, El Salvador became the strongest economy in Central America. The Salvadoran economy has experienced mixed results from the ARENA government's commitment to free market initiatives and conservative fiscal management that include the privatization of the banking system, telecommunications, public pensions, electrical distribution, and some electrical generation, reduction of import duties, elimination of price controls, and an improved enforcement of intellectual property rights. The GDP variable has been growing at a steady and moderate pace since the signing of peace accords in 1992, in an environment of macroeconomic stability. A problem that the Salvadoran economy faces is the inequality in the distribution of income. In 1999, the richest fifth of the population received 45% of the country's income, while the poorest fifth received only 5.6%.
As of December 1999, net international reserves equaled US$1.8 billion or roughly five months of imports. Having this hard currency buffer to work with, the Salvadoran Government undertook a monetary integration plan beginning January 1, 2001, by which the U.S. dollar became legal tender alongside the colón, and all formal accounting was undertaken in U.S. dollars. This way, the government has formally limited its possibility of implementing open market monetary policies to influence short term variables in the economy. Since 2004, the colón stopped circulating and is now never used in the country for any type of transaction; however some stores still have prices in both colones and U.S. dollars. In general, people were unhappy with the shift from the colón to the U.S. dollar, because wages are still the same but the price of everything increased. Things that once cost 5 colones now cost $1, which would be 8.75 colones. Some economists claim this rise in prices would have been caused by inflation regardless even had the shift not been made. Some economists also contend that now, according to Gresham's Law, a reversion to the colón would be disastrous to the economy.
Some banks however claim that they still do some transactions en colones, keeping this change from being unconstitutional.
The change to the dollar also precipitated a trend toward lower interest rates in El Salvador, helping many to secure credit in order to buy a house or a car; over time, the sense of displeasure with the change has largely disappeared, though the issue resurfaces as a political tool when elections are on the horizon.
Among the biggest challenges in El Salvador have been to manage the decline in the coffee sector, which only accounted for 7.0% of exports in 2004, and to develop new growth sectors for a more diversified economy. Currently there are fifteen free trade zones in El Salvador. The largest beneficiary has been the maquila industry, which provides 88,700 jobs directly, and consists primarily of cutting and assembling clothes for export to the United States.
El Salvador signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), negotiated by the five countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic, with the United States in 2004. In order to take advantage of CAFTA, the Salvadoran government is challenged to conduct policies that guarantee better conditions for entrepreneurs and workers to transfer from declining to growing sectors in the economy. El Salvador has already signed free trade agreements with Mexico, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Panama, and increased its exports to those countries. El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua also are negotiating a free trade agreement with Canada.
Fiscal policy has been the biggest challenge for the Salvadoran government. The 1992 peace accords committed the government to heavy expenditures for transition programs and social services. Although international aid was generous, the government has focused on improving the collection of its current revenues. A 10% value-added tax (VAT), implemented in September 1992, was raised to 13% in July 1995. The VAT is the biggest source of revenue, accounting for about 52.3% of total tax revenues in 2004.
Remittances from Salvadorans working in the United States sent to family members are a major source of foreign income and offset the substantial trade deficit of around $2.9 billion. Remittances have increased steadily in the last decade and reached an all-time high of $2.9 billion in 2005—approximately 17.1% of gross domestic product (GDP). As of April 2004, net international reserves stood at $1.9 billion.
In recent years inflation has fallen to single digit levels, and total exports have grown substantially.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of El Salvador
El Salvador's population numbers about 6.7 million people. Around 90% are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish/European), some 9% white, and only 1% indigenous. Very few Amerindians have retained their native customs, traditions, or languages. El Salvador is the only Central American country that has no native black population, probably because of its lack of Caribbean coasts, unlike its neighbors.
Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants, although English is spoken in the capital. English is primarily spoken by professionals or those in the tourist industry. The country's people are largely Roman Catholic (83% of the population), though Protestant groups are growing (15%).
The capital city of San Salvador has about 2.1 million people; an estimated 42% of El Salvador's population live in rural areas.
According to the most recent United Nations survey, life expectancy for men was 68 years and 74 years for women. Education in El Salvador is free through 9th grade. The national literacy rate is 84.1%.
At the beginning of 2004, there were approximately 3.1 million Salvadorans living outside El Salvador, many of whom are immigrants (though not always legally) in the United States. The USA has traditionally been the destination of choice for Salvadorans looking for greater economic opportunity than their current position can provide. Other countries with notable Salvadoran communities include Canada, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Australia. The situation worsened later during the civil war of the decade of the 1980s and from adverse economic and social conditions. Pursuant to peace accords signed in January of 1992 between the FMLN and the ARENA-party-dominated government, the government made a series of economic reforms in the mold of the free market model supported by the USA. This model has given good results on all economic levels, although politicians of the opposition parties argue that this is not the case. In 2001 El Salvador adopted, by legislative decree, the U.S. dollar as its official currency, replacing the previous currency called the Colon (Spanish for 'Columbus', as in Christopher Columbus).
Culture
A small part of the population speaks Nawat, a native language, dialect of Nahuatl. The Roman Catholic religion played an important role in the Salvadoran culture. Important personalities from El Salvador are the Jesuit priests and professors Ignacio Ellacuria, Ignacio Martín-Baró and Segundo Montes. Painting, ceramics and textile articles are the main manual artistic expressions. Writers Francisco Gavidia (1863–1955), Salvador Salazar Arrué, Claudia Lars, Alfredo Espino and Manlio Argueta, and poet Roque Dalton are among the most important artists to stem from El Salvador. Notable 20th century personages include the late filmmaker Baltasar Polio and artist Fernando Llort.
The local flavour of Spanish, its slang, is called Caliche_(linguistics).
The laws restricting abortion in El Salvador are among the strictest in the world, and are enforced against the mother. Article 1 of El Salvador's constitution protects life from the "moment of conception." Abortion is forbidden for rape, incest, fetal malformation, or threat to the life of the mother. Ectopic pregnancies cannot be treated until the embryo dies or the fallopian tube bursts. Women can get 2 to 8 years in prison, or 30 to 50 years if the fetus was viable, and some women are in prison for up to 30 years. (Source: Pro-life nation: "What happens when you completely criminalize abortion? Over the last eight years, El Salvador has found out," by Jack Hitt, New York Times Magazine, April 9, 2006)
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | Easter | Semana Santa | Celebrated with carnival-like events in different cities by the large Catholic population |
| May 1 | Labor Day | Día de los trabajadores | International Labour Day |
| May 10 | Mother's Day | Día de la Madre | |
| August 1–7 | August Festivals | Fiestas de Agosto | Week long festival in Celebration for the El Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador. |
| September 15 | Independence Day | Día de la Independencia | Celebrates independence from Spain, achieved in 1821 |
| October 12 | Columbus Day | Día de la Raza | This day commemorates the discovery of the Americas |
| November 2 | Day of the Dead | Día de los Difuntos | |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Navidad |
Miscellaneous topics
- List of Salvadorans
- Communications in El Salvador
- Transportation in El Salvador
- Central American Spanish
- Caliche_(linguistics)
External links
- Worldwide press freedom index Rank 33 out of 139 countries (2 way tie)
- Directorio de Sitios Web Salvadoreños - Salvadoran Website Directory
- Blogs El Salvador
- Economic and demographic data
- Poetry El Salvador
- Forums & Salvadorian Community
- Picture galleries of El Salvador
- Doctors in El Salvador - Médicos de El Salvador
- Business Directory of El Salvador Empresas en EL Salvador
National Anthem
- [1] (National Anthem of El Salvador in Mp3 form)
Government sites
- Casa Presidencial (Website of the President)
- Asamblea Legislativa (Website of the Legislative Assembly)
- Ministerio de Defensa Nacional (Ministry of Defense)
- Fuerza Aerea Salvadoreña (Air Force of El Salvador)
- Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Ministry of the Environment and Natural resources)
- Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Ministerio de Economía (Ministry of the Economy)
- Ministerio de Turismo (Ministry of Tourism)
- Corte Suprema de Justicia (Supreme Court of Justice)
- Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (Office of the judge advocate general for the Defense of Human rights)
Salvadoran media
- News sites
- Television sites
Charities and Volunteer Organisations
- ASAPROSAR - Salvadoran Association for Rural Health
- Lifeline El Salvador - Volunteer, Work and Teach English Abroad
- Foundation for Self-Sufficiency in Central America
- CISPES - Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
| Countries and North America as a continent |
|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas | Barbados | Belize | Canada | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominica | Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Grenada | Guatemala | Haiti | Honduras | Jamaica | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Trinidad and Tobago | United States |
| Dependencies: Denmark: Greenland | France: Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | Netherlands: Aruba · Netherlands Antilles | UK: Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands | U.S.: Navassa Island · Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands |
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