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Profile of El Salvador

 

Population: 6,822,378 (July 2006 est.)

Languages: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Capital: San Salvador

Brief History

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.

Today

The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has the third largest economy, but growth has been minimal in recent years.  Hoping to stimulate the sluggish economy, the government is striving to open new export markets, encourage foreign investment, and modernize the tax and healthcare systems.  Implementation in 2006 of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which El Salvador was the first to ratify, is viewed as a key policy to help achieve these objectives.