The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

- international:

       Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas

       that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the

       22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence - Egypt is

       economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle" north of the Treaty

       line

      Illicit drugs:

       transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and

       opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for

       Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax

       banking regulations

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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      @El Salvador

      Introduction 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 El Salvador

      Location:

       Middle 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

       water: 320 sq km

       land: 20,720 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: 27.27%

       permanent crops: 12.11%

       other: 60.62% (1998 est.)

      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,

       Nuclear Test Ban, 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 El Salvador

      Population:

       6,470,379 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 37.1% (male 1,224,024; female 1,173,667)

       15–64 years: 57.9% (male 1,777,522; female 1,966,064)

       65 years and over: 5.1% (male 147,482; female 181,620) (2003 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 21.1 years

       male: 20 years

       female: 22.2 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       1.81% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       27.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 26.75 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 23.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 29.59 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 70.62 years

       male: 67.02 years

       female: 74.4 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       3.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.6% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       24,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       2,100 (2001 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

      Ethnic groups:

       mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic 83%

       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 El Salvador

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador