El Salvador ( Republica de El Salvador) is a country in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador geographic coordinates 13 50 N, 88 55 W; area 20,720 sq km; area comparative slightly smaller than Massachusetts; land boundaries Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km; coastline 307 km; maritime claims 200 nm; climate tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperat; terrain mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau; elevation extremes Cerro El Pital 2,730 m; natural resources hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land; land use 56.08% (2001); irrigated land 360 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic act; environment current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes; environment international agreements Law of the Sea; geography note smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea;

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El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms. government type republic; capital San Salvador; administrative divisions 14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan; independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain); national holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821); constitution 23 December 1983; legal system based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; suffrage 18 years of age; universal;

people

El Salvador population 6,704,932 (July 2005 est.); age structure 5.1% (male 153,133/female 191,085) (2005 est.); median age 22.69 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 1.75% (2005 est.); birth rate 27.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 75.01 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 3.16 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 0.7% (2003 est.); hiv people with aids 29,000 (2003 est.); hiv deaths 2,200 (2003 est.); nationality Salvadoran; ethnic groups mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%; religions Roman Catholic 83%, other 17% there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there we; languages Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians); literacy 77.7% (2003 est.);

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Cities