El Salvador Geography
What is the terrain and geography like in El Salvador?
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.
Geography - note
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean SeaEl Salvador Use of Natural Resources
| Geographic Location | Central America |
| Total Area |
8,124 Square Miles 21,041 Square Kilometers |
| Land Area |
8,000 Square Miles 20,721 Square Kilometers |
| Water Area |
124 Square Miles 320 Square Kilometers |
| Land Boundaries |
339 Miles 545 Kilometers |
| Irrigated Land |
173 Square Miles 449 Square Kilometers |
| Border Countries | Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
| Coastline |
191 Miles 307 Kilometers |
| Geographic Coordinates | 13 50 N, 88 55 W |
| Terrain | mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
| Highest Point | 2,730 Meters |
| Highest Point Location | Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
| Lowest Point Location | Pacific Ocean 0 m |
| Natural Resources | hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
| Time Zone | UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |