III.

People

The Spanish subjugated the native population of El Salvador in the 16th century. Few Spanish women came to the country, however, so many Spanish men took Native American women as their mates. Today nearly 90 percent of the population is mestizo, of mixed European and Native American descent. People of purely Native American descent represent about 5 to 10 percent of the population, while people of European descent represent only about 1 percent.

El Salvador’s population, 5.2 million according to the 1992 census, was estimated at 6,939,688 in 2007. It grew rapidly during the 20th century, at times increasing more than 3 percent a year. According to a 2007 estimate, El Salvador is the most densely populated country on the mainland of the Americas, with 335 persons per sq km (867 per sq mi). This compares with only 12 inhabitants per sq km (31 per sq mi) in 1821 and 38 per sq km (98 per sq mi) in 1900.

Population growth in 2007 has slowed to 1.7 percent. This is due to a declining birth rate, attributed to the use of birth control, and to the large number of people leaving the country to escape both the civil war and widespread poverty. More than 1 million Salvadorans live abroad, and an estimated 6 of every 1,000 people left the country in 1995.

Still, the nation’s birth rate remains far greater than the death rate (26 births and only 6 deaths for every 1,000 people). El Salvador has a young population, with 38 percent under age 15 and only 5 percent over age 65. Current life expectancy at birth for Salvadorans averages 72 years (68 for males and 76 for females), but 24 of every 1,000 infants born die in their first year. In life expectancy and infant mortality, El Salvador ranks in the middle of Central American nations, but still far behind Costa Rica and Panama, which have the best conditions in the region.

Steady migration from the countryside has raised the urban population to 60 percent of the total in this traditionally rural country. By far the greatest concentration of people is around the capital city of San Salvador. Although the city itself has only 485,847 residents (2001 estimate), the metropolitan area has about 1.4 million, nearly one-quarter of the Salvadoran population. Other important Salvadoran cities include Santa Ana (population 253,037), center of a rich agricultural region; San Miguel (population 245,428), a trade center at the foot of the San Miguel volcano; and Mejicanos (population 193,400), a suburb of San Salvador.

A.

Ethnic Groups

El Salvador was home to Native Americans 3,000 years before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1524. Inhabited by early Maya peoples, it was later settled by Nahuatl people from Mexico. The country’s mestizo majority has its roots in these ethnic groups, but the tiny elite class that arose with the development of the coffee industry in the 19th century became increasingly more Caucasian because of immigration and marriage with Europeans and North Americans. This Europeanization of the elite class over the past century sets it apart somewhat from the dominant mestizo character of the middle and lower classes.

Cultural characteristics—language, dress, and customs—have been more important than ethnic background in differentiating mestizo from indigenous populations in El Salvador. Although some Native American communities have survived in the country, most of them have adopted European ways as a result of the systematic repression of native people, especially after an uprising in 1932. Estimates of the Native American population range from the official 1992 government census figure of 5 percent to a figure of 10 percent, suggested by anthropological research.

B.

Language

The official language of El Salvador is Spanish, although a few Native Americans continue to speak indigenous languages (Lenca, Pipil, or Kekchí). Salvadorans in business, government, and academic positions often know English.

C.

Religion

The country is traditionally Roman Catholic, and 91 percent of the population is Catholic. Evangelical Protestant groups have grown rapidly in recent years, and Protestants now number an estimated 8 percent of the population.

The Catholic clergy traditionally played important roles in political and economic affairs until liberal reforms in the late 19th century led to separation of church and state and to a reduced role for the church. During the past 25 years, however, the “theology of liberation,” which emphasizes social and economic justice for the poor, became a major force in Salvadoran Catholicism. Both foreign and native clergy worked to involve the urban and rural poor in political efforts to protect their rights and improve their lives. Catholic archbishops often were mediators between the state and guerrilla forces in the recent civil war. The newer, Protestant sects, on the other hand, have been more conservative politically and less involved directly in the political turmoil. However, there is a small Unity Movement political party based among the Evangelicals.

D.

Education

Salvadoran law mandates free, compulsory elementary public schools through the 9th grade. Education through the 12th grade is available, and students completing 12 grades receive the bachillerato degree (high school diploma). However, enforcement is often lax, especially in rural areas and in urban slums, and the civil war of the 1980s damaged educational programs. El Salvador has about 3,200 primary and secondary schools with a total enrollment of 1.3 million students. But only slightly more than half of the school-age children actually attend school, and only a third finish the 9th grade. According to a 2005 estimate for people over age 15, the literacy rate was 81 percent—84 percent for men and 78.9 percent for women.

The national university is the University of El Salvador (1841), and the second-largest university is the Jesuit-run Central American University of José Simeón Cañas (1965). Both suffered from the political turmoil of the 1980s, and the government closed the national university for much of that decade because it was a center of leftist activity. The Central American University also closed for brief periods. The University of Don Bosco is located in Soyapango, a suburb of San Salvador, and run by the Salesians, a Catholic religious society. Because of closures at the major universities, many small, private colleges and universities opened during the civil war, and more have opened since. Some 115,000 students are enrolled in institutions of higher education, with more than two-thirds attending private schools. Education in public schools is free.

E.

Way of Life

There is a substantial contrast between urban and rural life in El Salvador. San Salvador is a modern city, influenced by the culture of the United States and Western Europe, while rural areas and provincial towns practice more traditional Hispanic customs, including folk music and dancing. Family life is important in both areas, however, and extended family relationships play an important role in economic and political affairs; distant relatives and in-laws often use influence to help Salvadorans gain jobs, favors, and opportunities. Life was severely disrupted during the past two decades by political turmoil and civil war, which forced many families to flee from their homes to other parts of the country or to foreign nations.

Soccer is the most popular sport in El Salvador, where thousands of fans watch competitions by schools, amateur leagues, and professional teams. In the capital, Cuscatlán Stadium and the Flor Blanca National Stadium hold 80,000 and 35,000 spectators, respectively. Other large soccer stadiums are in Santa Ana, San Miguel, Zacatecoluca, and San Vicente. Many other sports, including basketball, baseball, boxing, volleyball, tennis, swimming, and surfing, also are popular in the country, as is automobile racing. The modern Formula One auto racecourse at El Jabalí, 30 km (20 mi) from San Salvador, accommodates 100,000 spectators.

F.

Social Issues

Social class remains an important reality of modern El Salvador despite the growth of a significant middle class in San Salvador, the rise of important labor organizations, and increased democratic political participation. The wealthy upper class, which emerged in the late 19th century with the growth of the coffee industry, has traditionally dominated the government and economy, controlling most of the land and political offices. In the mid- to late 20th century the elite class expanded its interests into other agricultural exports, finance, manufacturing, and other economic activities. This class often has been referred to as the Fourteen Families, although the prominent families always exceeded that number and in the 1980s increased to more than 200. According to 1990 figures, the wealthiest 20 percent of Salvadorans received 66 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent received only 4 percent. Some 48 percent of Salvadorans lived in poverty in 1992.

Millions of poor Salvadorans, in rural and urban areas, suffer from inadequate housing, health care, and basic services. Malnutrition is a major problem in much of the country, which depends heavily on imported food. Urban poverty is especially noticeable around San Salvador, where thousands live crowded into miles of shantytowns without electricity, running water, or adequate sanitation. These extensive slums contrast starkly with the walled-in and well-guarded palaces of the wealthy in San Salvador’s elegant Escalón neighborhood.

G.

Culture

Salvadoran culture reflects the native and European roots of the society, although following indigenous ways has been discouraged by the government since the 1930s. Archaeological ruins, including ancient Maya pyramids and dwellings at Tazumal and Cihuatán, highlight the heritage of indigenous peoples, while much of the colonial art and architecture reflects the Spanish influence. Religious and folk festivals are popular diversions for both large and small communities throughout the country, often featuring colorful folk dancing, more European than Native American.

Salvadoran authors have produced examples of fine poetry, literature, theater, and historical writing. Important 20th-century authors include Francisco Gavidia; novelist Salvador Salazar Arrué, whose work focused on rural life, Native American mythology and customs, and the clash of cultures in Salvadoran society; and poet and novelist Claribel Alegría, who has written on women’s struggles and the upheaval of the 1980s. In recent years the destructive civil war has limited cultural development, while North American culture has been a strong influence in music, cinema, and television.