: 21.4 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 22.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.78% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
27.48 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.79 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.92 years
male: 67.31 years
female: 74.7 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.2 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%
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 Amerindians)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Government El Salvador

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador

Government type:
republic

Capital:
San Salvador

Administrative divisions:
14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz,
La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente,
Sonsonate, Usulutan

Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:
23 December 1983

Legal system:
based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: