X
pattern centered in the white band

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 area: 21,040 sq km
land area: 20,720 sq km
comparative area: 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

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 m