Geography
Area: 21,476 sq. km. (8,260 sq. mi.); about the size of Massachusetts.
Cities: Capital--San Salvador (pop. 1.7 million). Other
cities--Santa Ana San Miguel, Soyapango, and La Union.
Terrain: Mountains separate country into three distinct
regions--southern coastal belt, central valleys and plateaus, and
northern mountains.
Climate: Semitropical, distinct wet and dry seasons.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Salvadoran(s).
Population (2003): 6.6 million.
Annual growth rate (2003): 2%.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo 90%, indigenous 1%, Caucasian 9%.
Christian singles note-Religion: About 55%
Roman Catholic, with significant and growing numbers of Protestant
groups.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Free through ninth grade. Attendance (grades
1-9)--85%. Literacy--84.1% nationally; 75.3% in rural areas.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2002)--33/1,000. Life
expectancy at birth (2002)—70.4 years.
Work force (about 2.7 million): Agriculture--22%; services--18.7%;
commerce--27.2%; manufacturing--17.6%; construction--5.4%; transportation
and communication--4.6%; other--4.5%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: December 20, 1983.
Independence: September 15, 1821.
Branches: Executive--president and vice president. Legislative--84-member
Legislative Assembly. Judicial--independent (Supreme Court).
Administrative subdivisions: 14 departments.
Political parties (represented in the legislature): Farabundo Marti
National Liberation Front (FMLN), Nationalist Republican Alliance
(ARENA), National Conciliation Party (PCN), Christian Democratic Party
(PDC), and the United Democratic Center (CDU).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy (2003)
GDP: $15 billion.
Annual growth rate: 2%.
Per capita income: $2,258.
Agriculture (11% of GDP): Products--coffee, sugar, livestock,
corn, poultry, and sorghum. Arable, cultivated, or pasture land--64%.
Industry (24% of GDP): Types—textiles, food and beverage
processing, footwear and clothing, chemical products, petroleum
products, electronics.
Trade: Exports--$3.1 billion: textiles, diverse manufactures,
coffee, sugar, and shrimp. Major markets--U.S. 63%, Central
American Common Market (CACM) 25.5%. Imports--$5.8 billion:
consumer goods, foodstuffs, capital goods, raw industrial materials,
and petroleum. Major suppliers--U.S. 48.6%, CACM 16.1%, Mexico
5.7%.
PEOPLE
Christian singles note-El Salvador's population
numbers about 6.6 million. Almost 90% is of mixed Indian and Spanish
extraction. About 1% is indigenous; very few Indians have retained
their customs and traditions. The country's people are largely Roman
Catholic and Protestant. Spanish is the language spoken by virtually
all inhabitants. The capital city of San Salvador has about 1.7
million people; an estimated 42% of El Salvador's population live in
rural areas.
