rocessing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals,
fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1997 est.)

Electricity-capacity: 900,000 kW (1996)

Electricity-production: 3.5 billion kWh (1997)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 603 kWh (1997 est.)

Agriculture-products: coffee, sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseed,
cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp

Exports:
total value: $1.96 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: coffee, sugar; shrimp; textiles
partners: US, Guatemala, Germany, Costa Rica, Honduras

Imports:
total value: $3.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
commodities: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels
partners: US, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Japan

Debt-external: $2.6 billion (yearend 1997)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $763 million (1996)
note: US has committed $280 million in economic assistance to El
Salvador for 1995-97 (excludes military aid)

Currency: 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1 (end of period)-8.755
(January 1998-1995), 8.750 (1994), 8.670 (1993)
note: as of 1 June 1990, the rate is based on the average of the
buying and selling rates, set on a weekly basis, for official receipts
and payments, imports of petroleum, and coffee exports; prior to that
date, a system of floating was in effect

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 350,000 (1997 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations: AM 18, FM 80, shortwave 2

Radios: 1.5 million (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 11 (1996 est.)

Televisions: 700,000 (1997 est.)

@El Salvador:Transportation

Railways:
total: 602 km (single track; note-some sections abandoned, unusable,
or operating at reduced capacity)
narrow gauge: 602 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 9,977 km
paved: 1,985 km (including 266 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,992 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable

Ports and harbors: Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union,
Puerto El Triunfo

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 88 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 84
914 to 1,523 m: