,
which cost the lives of some 75,000 people, was brought to a close
in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that
provided for military and political reforms.

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); 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: 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;
Hurricane Mitch damage

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

El Salvador People

Population: 6,237,662 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.68% (male 1,198,623; female 1,151,584)

15-64 years: 57.27% (male 1,693,865; female 1,878,254)

65 years and over: 5.05% (male 142,345; female 172,991) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.85% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 28.67 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/fem