Critical Times

Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific
Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Population: 6,704,932 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.5% 15-64 years: 58.3% 65
years and over: 5.1%

Area: total: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km

Land boundaries: total: 545 km

border countries:
Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and
central plateau

Coastline: 307 km

Environment – international agreements: party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

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.