FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT

Official name

Republic of El Salvador

Form of state

Unitary republic

Legal system

US-style Supreme Court system

National legislature

Unicameral Legislative Assembly, comprising 64 locally and 20 nationally elected deputies, elected every three years

Electoral system

Universal adult suffrage

National elections

January 2009 (legislative and municipal), March 2009 (presidential); next elections due in 2012 (legislative and municipal) and 2014 (presidential)

Head of state

President elected for a single term of five years

National government

The president, Mauricio Funes, governs with the support of the FMLN, which holds 35 of 84 seats in the legislature; he appoints and presides over a Council of Ministers

Main political organisations

Government: left-wing Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN)

Opposition: right-wing Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (Arena); Partido de Conciliacion Nacional (PCN); Partido Democrata Cristiano (PDC); Cambio Democratico