El Salvador Location:
Physical. El Salvador is located in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras. It covers an area slightly smaller than Massachusetts. The climate is tropical with a rainy season (May to October) and a dry season (November to April). The terrain consists mostly of mountains with a narrow coastal belt and central plateau. Some of El Salvador's prominent natural resources include hydropower, geothermal power, and petroleum.
El Salvador Geography:
Geography
Area: 8,292 square miles
Capital: San Salvador (pop 1.24 million)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; soil contamination
Geographical features: hot coastal plain in south rises to a cooler plateau and valley region; mountainous in north, including many volcanoes
Climate: tropical; distinct wet and dry seasons
El Salvador People:
People. Almost 6.6 million people live in El Salvador. Primary languages include Spanish and Nahua (among a few Amerindians). Three main ethnic groups can be found: Mestizo (90%) Amerindian (1%) and white (9%). Roman Catholicism composes 83% of the country's religious make-up, but a substantial upsurge in Evangelical Protestants has occurred in recent years.
6,587,541; mestizo (94%), Amerindian (1%); white (5%)
Annual growth rate: 1.78%
55% urban; 45% rural
Major language: Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic (75%); Protestant (25%)
El Salvador Government:
Government. The country is officially known as the Republic of El Salvador. Along with other Central American countries, El Salvador gained its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Its current constitution was ratified on December 20, 1983. It was engaged in civil war (beginning in the early 1970s) until 1992, the latest in a long series of violent eruptions. Massive corruption and widespread human rights violations occurred during the war, which severely damaged the social and economic fabric of the nation.
There are many political parties, many of which are very small and disappear quickly. The 267 municipalities, each governed by a mayor and a city council, have significantly more power and resources in recent years, although they historically have not received the financial resources constitutionally mandated for them in the national budget.
El Salvador is a republic that became independent on September 15, 1821
President Tony Saca is head of state and government
5+ political parties
Universal suffrage at 18
El Salvador Communication:
Communication and transportation
483,000 land-line telephones
550,000 Internet users
6,196 miles of highway
374 miles of railroad
85 airfields
80,000 motor vehicles
El Salvador Economy:
Economy. El Salvador’s economy has been dependent on the unpredictable cycles of export commodities. Coffee exports have dominated Salvadoran economic life, leading to profound socio-economic changes. From the beginning of the twentieth century until the mid 1980’s, the economic elite ruled the country in conjunction with the military, and the power structure was controlled by a relatively small number of wealthy landowners, known as the 14 families. Failed land reform, rather than helping the peasants, has resulted in desperate economic conditions for many of the people of El Salvador. Since 1991 the government has attracted investment for duty-free assembly plants. Economic difficulties result in the emigration of 700 people daily.
Currency: U.S. dollar
Per capita income: $4,800
GDP: $30.99 billion
GDP growth rate: 1.4%
Inflation rate: 2.1%
Labor force: 2.35 million people
El Salvador More Information:
www.dmoz.org | 
