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):