Part 221

International disputes: land boundary dispute with Honduras mostly resolved by 11 September 1992 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision; with respect to the maritime boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca, ICJ referred to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required

Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum

Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 6% other: 30%

Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (1989)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Geographic note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

People ------

Population: 5,828,987 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male 1,137,804; female 1,097,774) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,627,519; female 1,716,261) 65 years and over: 5% (male 115,973; female 133,656) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.81% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 28.3 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.88 years male: 65.44 years female: 72.5 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic divisions: mestizo 94%, Indian 5%, white 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 75% 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 Indians)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 71.5% male: 73.5% female: 69.8%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador conventional short form: El Salvador local long form: Republica de El Salvador local short form: El Salvador

Data code: ES

Type of government: republic