Country Profile: Republic of El Salvador

Geography

South of Honduras and Guatemala. 307 kilometers of coastline along the Pacific Ocean. 90 kilometers wide. Tropical. Capital: San Salvador.

Government

Presidents elected by popular vote for five-year terms. A unicameral legislature with members elected by popular vote for three year-terms.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Estimated per capita GDP:
2007 $5,200 (Ranks 132nd)
2006 $4,900
2005 $4,700
2004 $4,900
2003 $4,800
1999 $4,000

GDP annual growth rate estimated for 2007: 4.7 percent. (Ranks 120th.)

Labor force in agriculture: 17.1 percent.

Exports only 54 percent of imports in cash value. (2004) Exports "offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity."

Factbook: "GDP per capita is roughly half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and the distribution of income is highly unequal. The government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, modernize the tax and healthcare systems, and stimulate the sluggish economy."

Deaths and Births per 1,000 persons, estimated for the year 2008

Deaths: 5.53. Births: 25.72, down from 27.04 in 2005

Population

Estimate for July 2008: 7.066 milion, up from 6.7 million in 2005. Growth rate estimated fro 2008: 1.679 percent per year. Density estimated in 2005: 323 per square kilometer.

Migration estimated for 2008

More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 3.4 per 1,000 population.

Health

Infant mortality for 2008: 22.19, down from 25.1 in 2005 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births)

Average life expectancy estimated for 2008: 72.06, up from 71.22 in 2005

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 0.7 percent. (2003)

Religion

Roman Catholic 83 percent.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/