Natural hazards:
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very
destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
to hurricanes
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international agreements: 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
Geography - note:
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline
on Caribbean Sea
People El Salvador
Population:
6,587,541 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.8% (male 1,237,262; female 1,185,750)
15-64 years: 58.1% (male 1,819,035; female 2,009,032)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 150,221; female 186,241) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.4 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 22.5 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.78% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
27.48 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)