▁the ▁administrative ▁arrangement ▁and ▁sought ▁independent ▁municipal ▁status ▁for ▁each ▁village . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁roads ▁in ▁S alem ▁were ▁p aved . ▁To ▁all ay ▁local ▁concerns ▁in ▁other ▁villages , ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁Ministry ▁established ▁an ▁investig ative ▁committee ▁to ▁examine ▁other ▁options , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁decided ▁to ▁split ▁the ▁regional ▁council ▁into ▁two ▁local ▁coun c ils , ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁is ▁Ma ' ale ▁Iron , ▁which ▁includes ▁S alem ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁one ▁is ▁Bas ma . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁the ▁Ma ' ale ▁Iron ▁municipality ▁building ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁Population ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁census ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Statistics ▁( C BS ), ▁S alem ▁had ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁residents , ▁ 9 9 . 9 % ▁of ▁them ▁Muslim . ▁ 4 9 . 8 % ▁were ▁under ▁age ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 4 8 . 1 % ▁were ▁aged ▁ 1 8 – 6 4 , ▁and ▁ 2 . 1 % ▁were ▁over ▁ 6 5 . ▁The ▁median ▁age ▁was ▁ 1 8 . ▁ ▁Labour ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁CBS ▁census , ▁ 3 2 . 5 % ▁of ▁residents ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁annual ▁civil ian ▁labour ▁force ; ▁ 6 0 . 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁men ; ▁ 0 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁women .