Short facts about the government of El Salvador
| 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 |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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:
cabinet selected by the president
elections: president and 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 (CDU) 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, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MINURSO,
NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, 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
chancery:
2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 265-9671
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 Rose M. LIKINS
embassy: Boulevard Santa
Elena Final, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, 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 | Source: World Factbook |
