The capital of El Salvador, San Salvador is the largest city in the country. It is located in a coffee-growing region about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Pacific Ocean. The city sits at the base of a volcano. It has suffered many natural disasters over the years, including earthquakes and floods.

Places of interest

San Salvador does not have many historic buildings because so many of them have been destroyed in earthquakes. However, a few of the interesting sites in the city have been reconstructed. An important symbol to the people of El Salvador is a giant statue of Jesus standing on top of the world. It is called El Salvador del Mundo (the Savior of the World) and was built in 1990 to replace an earlier statue on the same spot. Another important site that has been restored is the Metropolitan Cathedral, famous for its large dome. On the city's main square, the Plaza Barrios, stands the reconstructed National Palace, which is El Salvador's capitol building.

El Rosario, a modern church, was built on the site of an older church. It houses the grave of José Delgado, who helped free the Central American countries from Spanish rule in the 19th century. San Salvador also has museums and theaters. One of the city's more popular museums is the National Museum, with many Mayan artifacts. The National Theater, built in 1917, is well known for its ornate decoration. San Salvador also has fine parks, a botanical garden, and a zoo. Lake Ilopango, which is a giant, water-filled volcanic crater, is a scenic summer resort located just east of the city.

Economy

El Salvador's civil war during the 1980s harmed the economy of San Salvador and the whole country greatly. Still, San Salvador is the nation's most important center for services and industry. Thousands of people there work for banks, the national government, business offices, hotels, restaurants, schools, and hospitals. The city's factories make clothing, leather goods, cigars, foods, drinks, and cement. Trade is also important to the economy. The city is on the Pan-American Highway and is near to ocean ports. Because of this, many goods pass through San Salvador. Farm products grown in the surrounding valleys are vital to San Salvador's economy also. Among the main crops grown are sugarcane, corn (maize), and coffee. Unemployment is a problem in San Salvado. Many people in the city are poor and must sell whatever they can to survive.

History

Native Americans lived in the area of San Salvador for thousands of years. The city was officially started near the town of Suchitoto in 1525 by a Spanish explorer. In 1528 San Salvador was moved 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest to its present site. It was declared a city in 1546. During colonial times it was the capital of a province. From 1834 to 1839 it was the capital of the United Provinces of Central America. The United Provinces soon broke up, however, into separate Central American countries. San Salvador has been the capital of El Salvador since 1839, except for the years 1854 to 1859, when it was being rebuilt after an earthquake.

San Salvador was severely damaged by earthquakes in 1854, 1873, 1917, and 1965. In addition, the city was ruined by heavy flooding in 1934. Despite such damage, the city and its metropolitan area grew rapidly in the 1900s. Hundreds of thousands of people moved there from the countryside.

From 1979 to 1992, El Salvador witnessed terrible violence between the government and left-wing rebels. In one incident in 1980 Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated in San Salvador by the government. During this time, many people moved to the capital city to escape the violence in rural areas. To make matters worse, another severe earthquake in 1986 killed more than 1,000 people and left thousands more homeless.

In the 1990s the city worked to recover from the civil war. However, the lack of housing and clean water—especially in poor areas—continued to be problems.

In 2000 the government allowed the United States to build a military base at nearby Comalapa airport. This base is used in the fight against the illegal drug trade. At the beginning of the 21st century, another disaster occurred. In 2001 many buildings in an area near San Salvador were destroyed by a landslide that resulted from an earthquake. Population (1992 estimate), 415,350.