LANGUAGES & DEMOGRAPHICS

Population: 7,066,403 (July 2008 est.) 

Ethnic Make-up: mestizo 90%, white 9%, Amerindian 1%

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.) 

Government: republic 

Language in El Salvador

Spanish is the main and official language of El Salvador. The local Spanish vernacular is called Caliche. Nahuat is the indigenous language that has survived, though it is only used by small communities of elderly Salvadorans in western El Salvador. 

Society and Culture

Many Spanish who settled the country intermarried with the native Indian population and thus the main group are the ‘mestizos’ (mixed European and Indian blood). Only 9% are pure European and usually belong to the wealthiest families; and the remaining 1% are native Indian. The largest native Indian group is the Pipíl. They continue to believe in the traditional gods.