El Salvador, which is Spanish for "the saviour" - or Jesus
Christ - has been wracked by civil war and a succession of natural
disasters. The tiny country is the most densely-populated state on the
mainland of the Americas and is highly industrialised. But social
inequality and a susceptibility to earthquakes have shaped much of
modern El Salvador.
Overview In the 1980s El Salvador was ravaged by a bitter civil war. This
was stoked by gross inequality between a small and wealthy elite,
which dominated the government and the economy, and the overwhelming
majority of the population, many of whom lived - and continue to
live - in abject squalor. The war left around 70,000 people dead and
caused damage worth $2bn, but it also brought about important
political reforms. In 1992 a United Nations-brokered peace agreement ended the civil
war, but no sooner had El Salvador begun to recover when it was hit
by a series of natural disasters, notably Hurricane Mitch in 1998
and earthquakes in 2001. These left at least 1,200 people dead and
more than a million others homeless. The economy depends heavily on the money sent home by
Salvadoreans living in the US. Poverty, civil war, natural disasters
and their consequent dislocations have left their mark on El
Salvador's society, which is among the most crime-ridden in the
Americas. Violent street gangs, known as "maras", have been described by
President Saca as a "regional problem that requires regional
solutions". One of the most notorious groups was started in the
1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in the US.
Facts
- Full name: Republic of El Salvador
- Population: 6.2 million (UN, 2009)
- Capital: San Salvador
- Area: 21,041 sq km (8,124 sq miles)
- Major language: Spanish
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: US dollar & Salvadoran colon
- Main exports: Offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar,
shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity
- GNI per capita: US $3,480 (World Bank, 2007)
- Internet domain: .sv
- International dialling code: +503
Leaders President: Mauricio Funes
 Mr Funes is the first left-wing president in
two decades |
Mauricio Funes' election victory in March 2009 marked the first
time in 20 years that a left-wing leader had come to power in El
Salvador. He defeated his conservative rival from the Arena party which had
previously won every election since El Salvador's civil war ended in
1992. Within hours of taking office on 1 June 2009, Mr Funes ordered to
re-establishment of full diplomatic ties with Cuba, after a break of
50 years. Mr Funes' FMLN party ( Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front)
was founded by Marxist guerillas who were engaged in a conflict
against the US-backed government in the 1980s. At least 75,000 people were killed during the civil war. In 1992
the FMLN signed a peace agreement and re-branded itself as a
legitimate political party. Mr Funes himself was never involved in armed uprising. He gave up
his career as TV journalist to run for president. He is considered a moderate and says he admires US President
Barack Obama. Like Mr Obama, he campaigned on a platform of change.
Mr Funes says he wants to build a relationship of "understanding and
mutual respect" with the United States. He has also expressed admiration for the economic policies of
Brazil's moderate left-wing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Mauricio Funes was born on 18 October 1959. He is married to a
Brazilian doctor and has three children.
Media Press freedom is guaranteed under El Salvador's constitution, and
the media freely and routinely criticise the government and report
on opposition activities. Broadcasting is dominated by private operators, with a handful of
national TV networks. There are scores of radio stations in the
capital alone. Cable TV is widely available and carries international channels.
The press
Television
Radio
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