Did You Know

Interesting Facts about El Salvador

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about El Salvador.

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Did You Know?

20 curious facts about El Salvador.

When a child loses a tooth they put the tooth under their pillow. The father says that during the night a rabbit will come. It will take the tooth and leave some money.
The name El Salvador means “the savior.”
El Salvador is the most densely populated country in Central America, with an average of over 290 persons per square kilometre; by contrast, Canada's population density is less than three persons per square kilometre.
The Montecristo Nature Reserve in northern El Salvador is a breeding ground for the quetzal, a bird with brilliant plumage and a long tail.

El Salvador’s tropical vegetation includes more than 200 species of orchids, which bloom between February and April.
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero gained enormous popularity in El Salvador as an outspoken leader in human rights. He was nominated forthe Nobel Peace Prize in 1980. The well-known film, Romero (1988), dramatizes his life.
One-third of Salvadorans live in San Salvador. Because of poor economic conditions, many rural parents must leave their children to the care of grandparents in order to search for work in the city.
Some shops, mostly in small towns, close for people to have lunch.
In mica, a form of tag, children play with an imaginary object (the mica) that has to be passed on to another player, who then becomes “it.”
Some Salvadorans seek the advice of curanderos, who practice the Indian tradition of brujería (natural healing) and are believed to possess mystical powers. Curanderos may perform rituals or prescribe natural remedies of spices and herbal teas.