El Salvador

Background:

El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.

   Geography

Location:	Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:	13 50 N, 88 55 W
Map references:	Central America and the Caribbean
Area:	total: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:	total: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline:	307 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate:	tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Terrain:	mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural resources:	hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Land use:	arable land: 31.85% permanent crops: 12.07% other: 56.08% (2001)
Irrigated land:	360 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:	known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Environment - current issues:	deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:	smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

People

Population:	6,704,932 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:	0-14 years: 36.5% (male 1,250,901/female 1,198,589) 15-64 years: 58.3% (male 1,860,084/female 2,051,140) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 153,133/female 191,085) (2005 est.)
Median age:	total: 21.57 years male: 20.44 years female: 22.69 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:	1.75% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:	27.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:	5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:	-3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 25.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 71.22 years male: 67.61 years female: 75.01 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:	3.16 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran
Ethnic groups:	mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%
Religions:	Roman Catholic 83%, other 17% note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador
Languages:	Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Literacy:	definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 80.2% male: 82.8% female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

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:	San Salvador
Administrative divisions:	14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan
Independence:	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:	23 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
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal Source: CIA World Factbook