PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of El Salvador

Geography
Area: 20,742. (8,008 sq. mi.); about the size of Massachusetts.
Cities: Capital--San Salvador (pop. 2.2 million). Other cities--Santa Ana, San Miguel, Soyapango, and Apopa.
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 (2005 est.): 6.9 million.
Annual growth rate (2005 est.): 1.7%.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo 90%, indigenous 1%, Caucasian 9%.
Religion: About 52% Roman Catholic, with significant and growing numbers of Protestant groups.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Free through ninth grade. Attendance (grades 1-9)—90.4%. Literacy--84.5% nationally; 76.3% in rural areas.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2003)--24.6/1,000. Life expectancy at birth (2006)--71.8 years.
Work force (about 2.5 million, 2004): Agriculture--19.1%; services--49.8%; industry--16.8%; construction--6.4%; government--7.3%; other--0.6%.

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
GDP (2005): $16.97 billion, PPP GDP (2005): $34.15 billion.
GDP annual real growth rate (2005): 2.8%.
Per capita income (2005): $2,469, PPP per capita income $5,100.
Agriculture (11.8% of GDP, 2005): Products--coffee, sugar, livestock, corn, poultry, and sorghum. Arable, cultivated, or pasture land--68% (2005).
Industry (23.2% of GDP, 2005): Types--textiles and apparel, food and beverage processing, footwear, chemical products, petroleum products, electronics.
Trade (2005): Exports--$3.4 billion: textiles and apparel, light manufacturing, coffee, medicines, sugar, and shrimp. Major markets--U.S. 60.7%, Central American Common Market (CACM) 27%. Imports--$6.8 billion: consumer goods, foodstuffs, capital goods, raw industrial materials, and petroleum. Major suppliers--U.S. 43.3%, CACM 15%, Mexico 7.8%.