Government

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

Capital:

Name: San Salvador
Geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: all year for 2012

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

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National Holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

20 December 1983

Legal System:

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

International Law Organization Participation:

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

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:

Chief of state: President Carlos Mauricio FUNES Cartagena (since 1 June 2009); Vice President Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN (since 1 June 2009); note – the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Carlos Mauricio FUNES Cartagena (since 1 June 2009); Vice President Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN (since 1 June 2009)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held on 15 March 2009 (next to be held in February 2014)
Election results: Mauricio FUNES Cartagena elected president; percent of vote – Mauricio FUNES Cartagena 51.3%, Rodrigo AVILA 48.7%

Legislative Branch:

Unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 March 2012 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – ARENA 33, FMLN 31, GANA 11, CN7,PES1,PDC1

Judicial Branch:

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (15 judges are selected by the Legislative Assembly; the 15 judges are assigned to four Supreme Court chambers – constitutional, civil, penal, and administrative conflict)

Political Parties and Leaders:

Democratic Change (Cambio Democratico) or CD [Tomas CHEVEZ] (formerly United Democratic Center or CDU); Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ]; Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Andres ROVIRA]; National Coalition (Concertation Nacional) or CN [Ciro CRUZ ZEPEDA] (formerly the National Conciliation Party or PCN); Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Alfredo CRISTIANI]; Party of Hope or PES [Rodolfo Antonio PARKER Soto] (formerly the Christian Democratic Party or PCD)

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, 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, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador Ruben ZAMORA
Chancery: Suite 100, 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: [1] (202) 595-7500 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3763
Consulate(s) general: Brentwood (NY), Chicago, Coral Gables (FL), Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Santa Ana (CA), Seattle, Tucson, Woodbridge (VA), Woodstock (GA)
Consulate(s): Elizabeth (NJ)

Diplomatic Representation from the US:

Chief of mission: Ambassador Mari Carmen APONTE
Embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
Mailing address: Unit 3450, APO AA 34023; 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521- 3450
Telephone: [503] 2501-2999 FAX: [503] 2501-2150