Flag_of_El_Salvador.svg

El Salvador

 

Population: 6,134,000 (est.)

Language(s): Spanish

Capital: San Salvador

Interesting Facts:

  • The official currency of El Salvador is the US$.
  • Roman Catholicism is the main religion of El Salvador with around 57.1% of the population being adherents. Other religious groups are: Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8%.
  • The smallest country in Central America geographically, El Salvador has the third largest economy in the region.
  • The country is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America.
  • The climate is tropical with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April.
  • El Salvador is known as the “Land of the Volcanoes”. It has some of the most active volcanoes in the world.
  • El Salvador gained its independence from Spain in 1821 after 3 whole centuries.
  • El Salvador went to war with Honduras in 1969 after inflamed rioting during a World Cup Qualifier football match. The war was later known as the ‘football war’ or the ‘soccer war’.
  • Coffee is considered an important pillar of the economy.
  • El Salvador is famous for it’s beautiful beaches and hosts world surfing competitions.

El Salvador (Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally ‘Republic of The Savior’) is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country’s capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country as well as Central America. El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the countries of Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east. Its easternmost region lies on the coast of the Gulf of Fonseca, opposite Nicaragua. As of 2009, El Salvador had a population of approximately 5,744,113 people, composed predominantly of Mestizos.

The colón was the official currency of El Salvador from 1892 to 2001, when it adopted the U.S. Dollar.

In 2010 El Salvador ranked in the top 10 among Latin American countries in terms of the Human Development Index and in the top 3 in Central America (behind Costa Rica and Panama), due in part to ongoing rapid industrialization. In addition, tropical forests and overall forest cover has expanded by nearly 20% from the year 1992 to 2010, making it one of the few countries experiencing reforestation.

Source: Wikipedia