What countries border El Salvador?
What is the current weather in El Salvador?
What is El Salvador famous for?
What is the capital of El Salvador?
Capital | San Salvador |
Government Type | presidential republic |
Currency | US Dollar (USD) |
Total Area |
8,124 Square Miles 21,041 Square Kilometers |
Location | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
Language | Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | $8,900.00 (USD) |
What is the population of El Salvador?
Ethnic Groups | mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9% |
Languages | Spanish is the official language, although Nahua and other Native American languages are spoken by many. English is often spoken among the educated. |
Nationality Noun | Salvadoran(s) |
Population | 6,481,102 |
Population Growth Rate | 0.29% |
Population in Major Urban Areas | SAN SALVADOR (capital) 1.605 million |
Urban Population | 64.800000 |
What type of government does El Salvador have?
Executive Branch |
chief of state: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA (since 1 December 2023); note - parliament granted a six-month leave of absence to President Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez and Vice President Félix Augusto Antonio ULLOA Garay (to allow them to participate in the 4 February 2024 presidential election) and approved the appointment of Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA as acting president from 1 December 2023 to 1 June 2024, when election winner Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez will be sworn in for a second term head of government: Acting President Claudia Juana RODRÍGUEZ DE GUEVARA (since 1 December 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 5-year term; election last held on 4 February 2024 (next to be held in 2029) election results: 2024: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez reelected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (Nuevas Ideas) 84.7%, Manuel FLORES (FMLN) 6.4%, Joel SANCHEZ (ARENA) 5.6%, Luis PARADA (NT) 2%, other 1.3%; note he will be inaugurated on 1 June 2024 2019: Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez elected president - Nayib Armando BUKELE Ortez (GANA) 53.1%, Carlos CALLEJA Hakker (ARENA) 31.7%, Hugo MARTINEZ (FMLN) 14.4%, other 0.8% |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
Citizenship |
citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
National Holiday | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
Constitution |
history: many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983 amendments: proposals require agreement by absolute majority of the Legislative Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on basic principles, and citizen rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended 2003, 2009, 2014 |
Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
What environmental issues does El Salvador have?
Overview |
El Salvador, with an area of 8,260 square miles, is the smallest independent state in Central America. El Salvador is rectangular in shape, 60 miles wide and 160 miles long. El Salvador has 350 rivers. The largest, the Rio Lempa, flows 150 miles from northern to central El Salvador, forming one of the most important Pacific watersheds in Latin America. It is El Salvador's only navigable river. The land is 90% volcanic in origin, and many places still bear the scars. The country’'s topography is rough and irregular from continuous volcanic activity, accounting for El Salvador’s rich soil. Two volcanic mountain ranges, a central one parallel to the Pacific and a northern one along the border with Honduras, run across almost the entire length of the country. The two ranges divide El Salvador into three distinct and progressively higher zones. The plains along the Pacific Ocean are at sea level; the central plateau is 2,000 feet above sea level; and the northern highlands rise more than 3,000 feet. Although the central plateau represents only 25% of the total area, it contains the heaviest concentration of population and the largest cities. |
Climate |
El Salvador's tropical climate has pronounced wet and dry seasons. The dry season, "verano" or summer, from December to April is dusty, especially in rural areas. The hottest months of the year, March and April, immediately precede the rainy season, "invierno" (winter). During the May-November rainy season, mornings are usually clear, with heavy rains in early evening and at night. Thunder and strong winds occasionally accompany the rain, and some June and September mornings are overcast. Occasional 2- to 3-day rainy spells occur. The average annual rainfall is 66 inches. The three geographic zones have distinct climatic characteristics. The narrow coastal belt is a hot tropical savanna with lush vegetation and temperatures that average 80°F. The central highlands, where San Salvador lies, are slightly cooler, with an average temperature of 73°F. San Salvador's temperatures range from 50°F to 90°F throughout the year. Incoming polar air infrequently causes cold nights and even frost. The highlands in the extreme north of El Salvador are consistently cool. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have littered El Salvador's history. Earthquakes ranging from 6.5 to 7.9 on the Richter Scale have struck the country at least 15 times since 1700. The most serious recent earthquakes occurred on January 13 and February 13, 2001. Although damage in San Salvador was slight, schools, hospitals, businesses, and public buildings throughout the country were damaged or destroyed. These two powerful quakes resulted in 1,300 deaths and left more than one million homeless. Infrastructure damages are estimated at $1.6 billion, or 12% of the country's GDP. Of the volcanoes located within the metropolitan area of San Salvador, Volcano San Salvador erupted last in 1917 and Volcano Ilopango in 1879. Although hurricanes do not usually threaten El Salvador directly, strong Caribbean storms can generate heavy winds and rains. Hurricane Mitch hit El Salvador in November 1998, generating extreme rainfall which caused widespread flooding. |
Border Countries | Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
Environment - Current Issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
Environment - International Agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Terrain | mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
How big is the El Salvador economy?
Economic Overview |
The smallest country in Central America geographically, El Salvador has the fourth largest economy in the region. With the global recession, real GDP contracted in 2009 and economic growth has since remained low, averaging less than 2% from 2010 to 2014, but recovered somewhat in 2015-17 with an average annual growth rate of 2.4%. Remittances accounted for approximately 18% of GDP in 2017 and were received by about a third of all households. In 2006, El Salvador was the first country to ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, which has bolstered the export of processed foods, sugar, and ethanol, and supported investment in the apparel sector amid increased Asian competition. In September 2015, El Salvador kicked off a five-year $277 million second compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation - a US Government agency aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty - to improve El Salvador's competitiveness and productivity in international markets. The Salvadoran Government maintained fiscal discipline during reconstruction and rebuilding following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005, but El Salvador's public debt, estimated at 59.3% of GDP in 2017, has been growing over the last several years. |
Industries | food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals |
Currency Name and Code | US Dollar (USD) |
Export Partners | US 47.1%, Honduras 13.9%, Guatemala 13.6%, Nicaragua 6.6%, Costa Rica 4.5% |
Import Partners | US 39.4%, Guatemala 9.6%, China 8.1%, Mexico 7.4%, Honduras 5.7% |
What current events are happening in El Salvador?
Source: Google News
What makes El Salvador a unique country to travel to?