The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      13 50 N, 88 55 W

      Map references:

      Central America and the Caribbean

      Area:

      total: 21,041 sq km country comparison to the world: 153 land: 20,721 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: 12 nm

      contiguous zone: 24 nm

      exclusive economic zone: 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: 31.37%

      permanent crops: 11.88%

      other: 56.75% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      450 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      25.2 cu km (2001)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%)

      per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

      volcanism: El Salvador experiences significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (elev. 1,893 m, 6,211 ft), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (elev. 2,130 m, 6,988 ft), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana

      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 ::El Salvador

      Population:

      6,052,064 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 35.4% (male 1,299,608/female 1,245,617)

      15–64 years: 59.3% (male 2,033,423/female 2,225,810)

      65 years and over: 5.3% (male 166,224/female 214,536) (2010 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 23.9 years

      male: 22.5 years

      female: 25.3 years (2010 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      0.332% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171

      Birth rate:

      18.06 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 109

      Death rate:

      5.61 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 174

      Net migration rate:

      −9.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 212

      Urbanization:

      urban population: 61% of total population (2008)

      rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

      under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

      15–64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female

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

      total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 98 male: 23.01 deaths/1,000 live births

      female: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 73.18 years country comparison to the world: 116 male: 69.91 years

      female: 76.62 years (2010 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.12 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      35,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      1,700 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: high

      food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

      vectorborne diseases: dengue fever

      water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

      Nationality:

      noun: Salvadoran(s)

      adjective: Salvadoran

      Ethnic groups:

      mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%,

       Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)

      Languages:

      Spanish (official), Nahua (among some Amerindians)

      Literacy:

      definition: age 5 and over can read and write

      total population: 81.1%

      male: 82.8%

      female: 79.6% (2007 census)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):