Part 256

Illicit drugs: a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe and the US; popular transit stop for Nigerian couriers; large domestic consumption of hashish from Lebanon and Syria ______________________________________________________________________

EL SALVADOR

@El Salvador:Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates: 13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 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: 200 nm

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

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

Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 29% forests and woodland : 5% other: 31% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,200 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - 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

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

@El Salvador:People

Population: 5,661,827 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male 1,084,198; female 1,038,248) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,538,609; female 1,709,756) 65 years and over : 5% (male 133,038; female 157,978) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.6% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 27.22 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)