El Salvador

Region: Central America and Caribbean

Official language: Spanish

Population: 6,628,702 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Salvadoran(s) (noun), Salvadoran (adjective)

Land area: 20,721 sq km (8,000 sq miles)

Water area: 320 sq km (124 sq miles)

Capital: San Salvador

National anthem: "Himno Nacional de El Salvador" (National Anthem of El Salvador), by Juan Jose Canas/Juan Aberle

National holiday: Independence Day, September 15, (1821)

Population growth: 0.34% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +6

Flag: The flag of El Salvador features two horizontal bands of blue separated by an equal horizontal band of white. El Salvador’s national coat of arms is located in the center of the white color band.

Motto: “Dios, Union, Libertad” (God, Union, Liberty)

Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)

Government type: presidential republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

The smallest country in Central America, the Republic of El Salvador borders Guatemala, Honduras, and the North Pacific Ocean. Between 1524 and 1821, it was a Spanish colony. The mingling of Spanish settlers and Indigenous peoples gave the country its modern-day character, in both ethnic and cultural terms.

El Salvador's social and political history has been troubled, with government massacres of civilians and several different authoritarian regimes. Vast disparities in wealth and land ownership led to a devastating civil war (1979–92) in which a right-wing military junta, funded by the United States, fought Marxist guerillas for economic and political control of the country. The years since the ceasefire have seen modest reforms, yet many of the root causes of the conflict remain prevalent and crime rates are high.

People and Culture

Population: The small country's population density is very high. Historically, the population was mostly rural, but by 2023, 75.4 percent of the total population lived in urban centers. Over 1.116 million people lived in the capital of San Salvador and its environs, the most densely populated area of the country. Santa Ana, San Miguel, Mejicanos, and Soyapango were other important urban centers, the latter two being suburbs of San Salvador.

As of the 2014 presidential election in El Salvador, an estimated 42 percent of the population was living abroad, mainly because of economic and social hardship in the country; at least 20 percent was still estimated to be living abroad in 2023. During the civil war, an estimated 75,000 Salvadorans were killed, skewing the national age structure.

At the time of the 2007 population census, about 86 percent of the population was Mestizo, or mixed Spanish and Indigenous descent. About 12.7 percent of El Salvadorans were White. The lower and middle classes are generally Mestizo, whereas the upper class is of European descent.

Essentially all Salvadorans speak Spanish. Among the educated, English is the most common second language. The Nawat language is spoken in some Indigenous communities.

Christianity is the religion of most Salvadorans. About 43.9 percent of the population identified with Catholicism in 2023, and nearly 39.6 percent were evangelical Protestant. Church rituals still permeate people's daily lives, though El Salvador is less conservative than its Central American neighbors. About 0.2 percent belonged to other faiths, and 16.3 percent reported no religious affiliation.

During the twentieth century, the Catholic Church began taking an increasing interest in the poverty of the lower classes and sought practical ways to relieve their plight. This movement, initially called Socialist Christianity, came to be known as "liberation theology," and was commonly found throughout Central and South America.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the government persecuted the Catholic Church for its ostensible support of communist ideals and subversive activities. Church figures such as Archbishop Oscar Romero were murdered during this period.

Indigenous People: The Indigenous population of El Salvador represented less than 1 percent of the total as of the 2007 census. Their ancestors, the Nahua people, arrived in the region around 3000 BCE and were in control when the Spanish began their conquest.

In the twenty-first century, they are among the poorest inhabitants of the country and have accepted many cultural traits of the dominant Mestizos, especially after a failed 1932 rebellion that reduced their population considerably. A few Indigenous groups speak native languages, including Nawat, Pipil, Lenca, and Kekchi.

Education: Education for school-age children between the first and ninth grades is free and compulsory in El Salvador. After the ninth grade, students can study for two more years toward an academic diploma or choose vocational training of two to three years.

The system has improved since the civil war years and has become more egalitarian. Large problems still loom, however. Attendance among the most disadvantaged sector of society is low, more resources are allocated for urban schools, and many students do not continue after grade nine. The literacy rate stood around 89.1 percent in 2019.

Public institutions of higher education include the University of El Salvador, the Panamerican University, and the University of Don Bosco, all located within the San Salvador metropolitan area. There are also institutes for technical and teacher training and private institutes.

Health Care: El Salvador's health care system has improved since the end of the civil war, but still does not provide adequate care for a significant portion of the population. Medical services are dispensed in two ways: through an insurance program supported by workers and their employers, and by government subsidy programs. El Salvador ranked 127 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index.

There is a great disparity between the care received by the rich and poor, and between urban and rural populations. Poor sanitary conditions and contaminated drinking water can contribute to diarrheal diseases, although by 2020, fewer than 1 percent of the total Salvadoran population lacked access to improved sanitation facilities and drinking water sources. Cases of dengue fever also occur. Life expectancy is 72.4 years for men and 79.5 years for women (2024 estimate). The infant mortality rate is relatively high, at 11.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024.

Food: El Salvador's cuisine bears similarities to other Latin American cuisines. Lunch is the largest meal of the day. Popular dishes include stuffed chili peppers, tamales, fried plantains, meat pies, and casamiento, which is rice "married" with beans. The country's most distinctive dish is the pupusa, a thick corn tortilla stuffed with cheese, refried beans, or pork cracklings called chicharrón.

Seafood is also commonly eaten, and it is sometimes consumed raw after being marinated in lime juice (in a dish known as "ceviche"). It is also prepared as mariscada, a stew using several types of seafood. Fruit drinks, coffee, hot chocolate, and hard liquor distilled from sugarcane are widely consumed.

Arts & Entertainment: Literature occupies a central position in the culture of El Salvador. The civil war interrupted cultural production, but then became a major thematic preoccupation, especially in literature. Authors who have examined their country and its modern conflicts include the novelists Manlio Argueta and Claribel Alegria and the poets Roque Dalton, Lilian Jiménez and José Roberto Cea.

Traditional arts and crafts, often associated with a particular village, are practiced in the form of ceramics, basketry, textiles, and masks. Some of these traditions revolve around an individual founding artist, such as Fernando Llort, whose energetic style is now characteristic of the village of La Palma.

Football (soccer), known as fútbol, is the most popular sport in El Salvador. It is played throughout the country and local teams have numerous followers who fill stadiums for live matches. Basketball, boxing, tennis, and auto racing are also popular.

Holidays: The most colorful and widely celebrated holidays in El Salvador are Catholic. Villages, towns, and cities annually recognize their patron saints with festivals involving processions, masses, music, games, and family gatherings. The most important saint day honors Jesus Christ in the form of El Salvador del Mundo (The Savior of the World), the country’s namesake. The feast of San Salvador is held during the first week of August.

The other major religious holidays are the pre-Easter Holy Week (March or April), All Souls' Day (November 2), and Christmas (December 25). For Christmas, large nativity scenes are assembled, trees are decorated, and families gather to hold large feasts and exchange gifts. Día de la Cruz (Day of the Cross), taking place on May 3, is amalgamation of pagan and Christian beliefs. Crosses are erected and adorned with flowers and fruit in order to encourage good crops.

Independence from Spain is celebrated on September 15. Other secular public holidays include New Year's Day (January 1), Labor Day (May 1), Mother's Day (May 10), and Father's Day (June 17).

Environment and Geography

Topography: The terrain of El Salvador can be divided into three regions: the mountains (60 percent of the total area), the central plateau (25 percent), and the coastal lowlands. The Sierra Madre range, running east to west along the northern border between 1,600 and 2,200 meters (5,249 and 7,218 feet), has been deforested and eroded and is no longer suitable for cultivation.

The highest peak in El Salvador, the Santa Ana volcano, rises to an elevation of 2,381 meters (7,812 feet) in the northwest. Parallel to the Sierra Madre range, with the central plateau in between, is a range of more than twenty volcanoes, including San Miguel and Izalco, which have passed out of their most active stage.

The narrow central plateau has the highest population density, and is characterized by rolling hills and soil made rich from deposits of volcanic ash. The average elevation of this region is 600 meters (1,969 feet). The rolling coastal lowlands extend from the Gulf of Fonseca in the east for approximately two-thirds of the Pacific coastline; at that point, the range of volcanoes begins forming the coastline.

There are many rivers and lakes throughout El Salvador. Rio Lempa is the most important river and the only navigable one. It waters El Salvador's central plateau before flowing into the Pacific Ocean. Rio Lempa has been used to form several artificial lakes, Embalse Cerrón Granden being the largest. Torola, Goascorán, Jiboa are other rivers which also flow into the Pacific. Many of the country's natural lakes are in volcanic craters, found in the highlands. Lago de Ilopango is the largest, at 70 square kilometers (27 square miles).

Natural Resources: El Salvador has deposits of gold, silver, limestone, copper, iron ore, lead, zinc, mercury and gypsum. However, the country issued its last new mining permits in 2008 and banned all metal mining in 2016. Logging has significantly reduced the once-extensive forests. Some of the remaining trees, such as cedar, oak, and mahogany, are still cut for timber; others are protected in national parks.

Hydropower and geothermal plants were both devastated during the civil war but have since reopened. Arable land remains the country's most vital resource.

The rapid deforestation has created serious environmental problems, including soil erosion and poor water quality. Water and soil have also been degraded by toxic waste dumping and pesticides, and the air in urban centers is polluted by traffic. Trash disposal is poorly handled. Vestiges of the civil war, in the form of land mines and unexploded ordnance, dot the countryside.

Plants & Animals: Deforestation brought about by logging and agricultural production has decreased El Salvador's tropical rainforests to only 13.6 percent of the total area (2018 estimate), thereby reducing animal habitats as well. Among the plants and trees still present are oak, balsam, rubber, pine, cypress, wild fruit trees, mahogany, several hundred types of orchid, and herbs.

Animals that have disappeared from the country include the jaguar and the crested eagle; among the critically endangered species that inhabit El Salvador are the Hawksbill turtle, hammerhead sharks, largetooth sawfish, and Galapagos petrel. Forty-one other species of animals and plants were listed as endangered by 2020. Monkeys, pumas, wild boar, ocelots, reptiles, and several hundred bird species still survive in the country's mountains and forests, especially where protected by the government.

Climate: El Salvador has a tropical climate, with little variation between seasons. Precipitation is high between May and October (averaging 2,030 millimeters/80 inches); between November and April the weather is generally warm and dry.

Temperature and moisture vary by elevation. Along the coastal lowlands, the hottest region, temperatures are between 25 and 29 degrees Celsius (77 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit), and humidity is low. The central plateau is cooler, with an annual average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). Annual average temperatures for the mountains are between 12 and 23 degrees Celsius (54 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit). Deforestation has caused hotter summers and shortened the rainy season.

El Salvador is prone to a range of natural disasters, from mudslides and hurricanes to violent earthquakes. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch battered the country, causing flooding, landslides, widespread property destruction, and several hundred deaths. An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck in 2001 and was followed by powerful aftershocks. These natural disasters all set the country's development even further back.

Economy

During much of the twentieth century, El Salvador's economy and resources were controlled by a tight-knit group of families who led decadent lives while keeping the lower classes in poverty. The ensuing civil war devastated the economy, causing an estimated $2 billion worth of damage. Since the end of hostilities, the economic situation has improved due to expanding markets, the redistribution of land, and the diversification of products for export.

In 2023, El Salvador's gross domestic product (GDP) was $71.957 billion, and $11,300 per capita. Some 26.6 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in 2022, but the middle class has broadened. Unemployment stood at 2.76 percent in 2023. Foreign aid and contributions from Salvadorans living abroad, known as remittances, have helped reduce the country's enormous trade deficit.

Industry: Some sectors were damaged during the civil war, as guerillas attacked factories and infrastructure in order to weaken the government. The most commonly manufactured goods are food products and beverages, but El Salvador also produces petroleum products, textiles and apparel, chemicals, fertilizers, furniture, and iron and steel goods.

Agriculture: Traditionally, agriculture has been the mainstay of the Salvadoran economy, and it remains important. About a third of the land is arable.

Coffee remains the most important crop but is vulnerable to international price fluctuations; sugarcane, cotton, corn, beans, rice, and sorghum are also cultivated. The Pacific Ocean supports a developing fishing industry, and El Salvador has exported fish caught off its shores. Cattle are the most commonly raised livestock.

Tourism: El Salvador has had difficulty overcoming its image as a war-torn country prone to natural disasters, and the number of foreign visitors has historically been limited as a result. Efforts are underway to promote the country's natural beauty and culture and to further develop its infrastructure. In 2022 travel and tourism accounted for 12 percent of the country's GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

For nature enthusiasts, El Salvador offers a varied landscape that encompasses mountains, volcanoes, a cloud forest, and Pacific coastline. Surfing, hiking, kayaking are popular sporting activities for visitors. Protected areas include the Montecristo Cloud Forest and the Cerro Verde National Park. Indigenous culture is on display at the Mayan ruins of Tazumal, while historic churches showcase the country's colonial heritage.

Government

One positive effect of the Salvadoran Civil War was greater participation in government along socioeconomic and ideological lines. The leftist movement, which once opposed the government with guerilla attacks, is now a legitimate political party in opposition to the right wing. This represents at least a partial break from the legacy of Spanish colonial rule, which established a small number of wealthy families and military elite to dominate every aspect of the country.

According to the 1983 constitution, El Salvador is a republic. The president, who is elected by popular vote to a single five-year term, is the chief of state and the head of government. He or she is responsible for selecting the cabinet, called the Council of Ministers, pending legislative approval. A vice president is elected along with the president. Through a 2012 law, Salvadoran citizens abroad are allowed to vote in presidential elections via absentee ballot.

The unicameral legislature consists of eighty-four deputies. They are elected to three-year terms by popular vote. In addition to approving presidential appointments, they are responsible for choosing Supreme Court justices.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in El Salvador. Among other duties, it reviews legislation and interprets the constitution. Each administrative region has its own civil and criminal courts. There are appellate courts, courts of first instance, and courts of peace.

El Salvador has fourteen administrative regions. Though some local power is vested in popularly elected town councils, the national government maintains strong control of them.

Since the end of the civil war, it has been common for political parties to fracture and make new coalitions. However, the two main parties operating in El Salvador are the National Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).

President Nayib Bukele was re-elected for a second term in February 2024. in a landslide victory with 84% of the votes.

His popularity has soared following a crackdown on crime which drove down the country's murder rate, from being one of Latin America's highest to one of its lowest.

Interesting Facts

• "El Salvador" means "The Savior" in Spanish, a reference to Jesus Christ.
• The Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador was the largest football (soccer) stadium in Central America on its opening in 1976, and can hold more than 53,000 people.
• El Salvador was a major exporter of indigo before the invention of synthetic dyes.
• In 2018 Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered in 1980, was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.

Bibliography

"El Salvador—2023 Annual Research: Key Highlights." Economic Impact Reports, World Travel and Tourism Council, 2023, researchhub.wttc.org/factsheets/el-salvador. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

"El Salvador." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/el-salvador. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.

"El Salvador." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 27 Dec. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/el-salvador/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025

"El Salvador Country Profile." BBC News, 9 Jul. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19401932. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025

“2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: El Salvador.” US Department of State, 2020, www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/el-salvador. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.‌