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.

Factbook: "The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been modest in recent years. Economic growth will decelerate in 2009 due to the global slowdown and to El Salvador's dependence on exports to the US and remittances from the US."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $7,100
2008: $7,400
2007: $7,200

GDP annual real (not per capita) growth rate estimate

2009: -3%
2008: 2.5%
2007: 4.7%

Unemployment rate

2008: 6.3%
2007: 6.2%

General

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

Population

Living in an urban area: 61% (2008)

July 2009: 7.185 million. Growth rate: 1.656% (ranks 80th)
July 2008: 7.066 milion
July 2005: 6.7 million

Density estimated in 2005: 323 per square kilometer.

Migration

2009: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 3.7 per 1,000 population.

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2009: 21.53
2008: 22.19
2005: 25.1

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 72.33 years
2008: 72.06
2005: 71.22

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/