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EL SALVADOR
Map of EL SALVADOR
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Location:
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Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 50 N, 88 55 W |
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Area:
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total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
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Coastline:
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307 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
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Natural resources:
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hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 31.37%
permanent crops: 11.88%
other: 56.75% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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450 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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25.2 cu km (2001) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%)
per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Population:
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7,066,403 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 35.8% (male 1,291,147/female 1,237,453)
15-64 years: 59% (male 1,987,671/female 2,179,620)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 162,100/female 208,412) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran |
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Ethnic groups:
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mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 83%, other 17%
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 |
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Languages:
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Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: San Salvador
geographic coordinates: 13 42 N, 89 12 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Source: http://cia.gov
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