San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana,
San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Constitution: 20 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

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alfredo CRISTIANI (since
1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 1989)

Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance
(ARENA), Armando Calderon Sol; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jose
Antonio Morales Erlich; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro Cruz
Zepeda; Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo Gonzalez Camacho; Salvadoran
Authentic Institutional Party (PAISA), Roberto Escobar Garcia; Patria
Libre (PL), Hugo Barrera; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio
Rey Prendes; Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS), Francisco Quinonez;
Democratic Convergence (CD), a coalition composed of the Social
Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Rene Roldan; the National Revolutionary
Movement (MNR), Guillermo Ungo; and the Popular Social Christian Movement
(MPSC), Ruben Zamora

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
President--last held 19 March 1989 (next to be held March 1994);
results--Alfredo Cristiani (ARENA) 53.8%, Fidel Chavez Mena (PDC) 36.6%,
other 9.6%;

Legislative Assembly--last held 20 March 1988 (next to be
held March 1991);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(60 total) ARENA 32, MAC 13, PDC 9, PCN 6

Other political or pressure groups:

Leftist revolutionary movement--Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency;
Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National Resistance
(FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran Communist
Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL),
and Central American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular
Liberation Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);

Militant front organizations--Revolutionary Coordinator
of Masses (CRM; alliance of front groups), Popular Revolutionary
Bloc (BPR), Unified Popular Action Front (FAPU), Popular Leagues
of