|
Country
|
El Salvador | 
Costa Rica |
|
Leader
|
President: Mauricio Funes
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
|
Population
|
6,090,646
| 4,636,348
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
73.690 years
| 77.890 years
|
|
Capital City
|
San Salvador
| San Jose
|
|
Largest city
|
| San Salvador (population: 525,990) | San Jose (population: 335,007) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.747
| 0.847
|
| GDP per capita |
$7,600 US
| $12,100 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
80.2%
| 94.9%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.9
| 5.1
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
16.7%
| 36.8%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.000%
| 6.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| democratic republic
|
|
Independence date
|
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
| 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)
| Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
|
| Languages |
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
| Spanish (official), English
|
| Exports |
offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles and apparel, gold, ethanol, chemicals, electricity
| bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
|
| External Debt |
$12,950,000,000 $
| $10,050,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
the US dollar became El Salvador's currency in 2001
| Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 529.62 (2008 est.), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.600%
| 0.600%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
| Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
|
| Area |
21,041 km sq
| 51,100 km sq
|
| Coastline |
307 km
| 1,290 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
| tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
|
|
|
|
