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Demographics

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There are nearly 6.7 million people living in El Salvador. 90% of El Salvador's population is mixed Amerindian and Spanish/European, 9% is white, and only 1% is indigenous. Very few Amerindians have held onto their native traditions, customs, and languages. It is interesting to note that the country of El Salvador is the only Central American country that does not possess a native black population. This is most likely due to the fact that it does not have a Caribbean coast, like its fellow neighbors. The life expectancy for El Salvador men is 68 years whereas the life expectancy for women is 74 years.

There are nearly 2.1 million people who live in El Salvador's capital city. It is estimated that 42% of El Salvador's inhabitants reside in rural areas. At the beginning of 2004, it was estimated that 3.1 million Salvadorans resided outside the country of El Salvador, many of whom were immigrants in the United States. The United States has been the top destination choice for those Salvadorans living abroad, however, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Australia, and Belize also each have significant Salvadoran communities residing within their borders. In 2001, the country of El Salvador approved, by legislative decree, the U.S. dollar as the official currency, taking the place of the former currency called the Colon.

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