The smallest of the seven Central American countries, El Salvador is also the most densely populated. Its capital is San Salvador. GeographyEl Salvador is shaped like a rectangle. It is situated entirely on the western side of Central America; it is therefore the only Central American nation that does not border on the Caribbean Sea. It is bounded on the south by the Pacific Ocean, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the north and east by Honduras. It is 8,124 square miles (21,041 square kilometers) in area. El Salvador is a land of volcanoes. There are two mountain regions, one each in the north and in the south. Most of the volcanoes are either extinct or not active. The last eruption occurred in 1946. Craters from these volcanoes have filled with groundwater and rainwater, forming inland lakes. The Río Lempa flows southward midway across the country. It eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific lowlands are generally hot and humid whereas temperatures seldom reach above 65° F (18° C) at the higher elevations. Plants and animalsEl Salvador once had more than 200 species of orchids, and its lowland forests were dense with cedar, mahogany, laurel, maquilishuat (a type of flowering tree), and cacao trees. Except for a small portion, however, all of this vegetation has been cleared for agriculture. As a result, animals have fewer and fewer places to live. Some 900 animal species are in danger of extinction; others, such as the crested eagle and the jaguar, are already extinct in El Salvador. The government has established preserves to protect the wilderness. These include the Monte Cristo Cloud Forest, with spider monkeys, anteaters, and mountain lions; Cerro Verde National Park, with 17 species of hummingbirds; and El Jocotal Lagoon, with whales and dolphins. Balsa, coconut, mango, and palm trees grow abundantly on El Salvador's hot, humid Pacific coast. People and cultureNearly 90 percent of El Salvador's people are mestizos, or of combined Indian and European descent. The rest of the population is Indian. Notable groups are the Izalco and Pancho Indians. Spanish is the official language of El Salvador. Most of the people practice Roman Catholicism or another form of Christianity. About half of the population lives in cities, the largest of which is the capital, San Salvador. EconomyEl Salvador's economy is based largely on farming and manufacturing. Coffee is its major export and one of its chief agricultural products. Cotton, corn, and sugarcane are other important crops. Cattle are the main livestock. The leading industries are the manufacture of food products and of clothing. Logging is restricted because so many of the forests have been destroyed. Commercial fishing also contributes to the economy. HistoryArrival of the SpanishThe Pipil Indians probably arrived in the region that is now El Salvador in the 11th century AD, establishing their kingdom of Cuzcatlán in the western half of the country. The Spaniards reached El Salvador in 1524, defeating the Pipil by 1539. El Salvador was divided into districts, San Salvador and Sonsonate, both attached to Guatemala. The first revolt against the Spanish in Central America took place in San Salvador in 1811. However, it was not until 1821 that San Salvador gained independence. San Salvador became part of the Mexican Empire. When that empire collapsed in 1823, the United Provinces of Central America was formed, and Sonsonate and San Salvador joined as the new state of El Salvador. The breakup of the United Provinces led to complete independence for El Salvador in 1840. IndependenceFrom its founding days, the country experienced much conflict. Power was usually in the hands of the wealthy. Instead of holding elections, presidents generally chose the people who would follow them in office. Violence gradually escalated into civil war by the end of the 1970s, and the government was forced out in 1979. Elections held in 1982 set up a new government, and in 1983 a new constitution was adopted. In the following years there were reasonably free elections of presidents and legislators. Fighting continued, however, for years. Finally, government and rebel leaders signed a peace treaty on January 16, 1992, after almost two years of talks. El Salvador's economy suffered greatly because of the civil war. It was hurt further by several natural disasters. A hurricane in 1998 and a series of earthquakes in 2001 damaged a large portion of the land and killed many people. The country worked hard to rebuild following the disasters. Population (2001 estimate), 6,238,000. |