Basic information:
The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador adjoins the Pacific in a narrow coastal plain, backed by a volcanic mountain chain, and a fertile plateau. About 90 percent of Salvadorans are mestizo; 9 percent claim Spanish descent. The rich volcanic soils brought coffee plantations.
Population: 6,881,000
Capital: San Salvador; 1,424,000
Area: 21,041 square kilometers (8,124 square miles)
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical
Currency: U.S. dollar
Life Expectancy: 70
GDP per Capita: U.S. $4,600
Literacy Percent: 80