El Salvador States Map

El Salvador: Overview

• Population: 6,476,312 
• Capital: San Salvador 
• Language: Spanish
• Bordering Countries: Guatemala, Honduras     
• Land Area: 8124 square miles
• Coastline: 307km (191 miles)  
• Highest Point: Cerro El Pital at 2730m   
• Latitude & Longitude: 13.7942 Degrees North, 88.8965 Degrees West 

Important Sites

El Salvador currently only has one site registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site [1]. It does, however, have 6 sites listed for consideration:  

• Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site
• Gulf of Fonseca (1992)
• Cara Sucia / El Imposible (1992)
• Chalchuapa (1992)
• Ciudad Vieja (1992)
• Lake Guija (1992)
• Cacaopera (1992)

  The Joya de Ceren Archaeological Site is famous – it is a well-preserved farming community that was buried under a sea of ash from the eruption of Laguna Caldera Volcano.  

Transport Systems

The transport system in El Salvador relies largely on its road network. As you will see below, the railway network is in need of development. The main international airport is El Salvador International Airport – there are also two smaller airports dealing with cargo and passengers around Central America. 

Road – The main form of transport is via road – as you can see from the El Salvador Map, it has an extensive network of roads that connect all major cities. There is 10,029km of roads including 327km of highways. 

Rail – El Salvador has a small railway network – just 602km of narrow gauge track. This provides passenger service from San Salvador to Apopa. Other than this, there is no other rail service in the country.

Seaports – Due to its location on the South Pacific Ocean, El Salvador has a myriad of important seaports. Important ports and harbors include Acajulta, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, and Puerto El Triunfo. 

Famous Tourist Attractions

  Despite its relatively small size, El Salvador has some amazing attractions – both natural and cultural. Its geography and a diverse landscape provide tourists with some beautiful landscapes and an abundance of volcano calderas. The following are some of the top cities and tourist attractions in El Salvador:     

• Tazumal Mayan Ruins
• Playa El Tunco
• Ruta de las Flores Trail
• Lake Ilopango
• Montecristo National Park
• Puerta del Diablo
• City of Santa Ana
• City of Suchitoto
• Joya de Ceren
• Lake Coatepeque

  El Salvador is a vibrant country in the heart of Central America – tourists can enjoy the myriad of distinguished cities, bursting with architecture, or visit some of the gorgeous landscape, and take a glimpse into ancient Mayan history. 

Currency

Until 2001, the national currency of El Salvador was the Colon. This was established during colonial rule in the 19th century but has now been replaced by the US Dollar [3]. Despite the change to dollars, some establishments still provide change in colon coins.  

In terms of US Dollars, El Salvador uses 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 bill banknotes. Moreover, 1, 5, 10, and 25 cent coins are used. The main unit of currency is 1 dollar, and the subunit is 100 cents. Currency circulation and inflation rates are controlled by the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador which is based in the capital of San Salvador.     

Political System & Economy

El Salvador has a Chief of State, and a Head of Government [5] – it is officially recognized as the Republic of El Salvador and has a republic government. The current constitution was created and adopted in 1983 and outlines its governmental system and political system. The president of El Salvador is elected via an absolute majority vote and has a term that lasts 5 years.

The administrative system of El Salvador is divided primarily into 14 departments or the States of El Salvador which can be seen on the El Salvador Map. Each department has a capital and is split into municipalities. There are 262 municipalities in El Salvador. The largest department is San Salvador which is both the main economic center and where the capital city is.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the economy of El Salvador has fluctuated – this is mainly due to natural disasters and corruption within the government. It has an annual GDP growth of approximately 2.5% and is classed as a developing/emerging country.

El Salvador has several main industries and enjoys important trade partnerships with the USA, Mexico, Colombia, China, and Guatemala. Its current main industries include petroleum, chemicals, agriculture, textiles, and food processing. In addition to this, it exports numerous goods including coffee, sugar, gold, chemicals, and textiles.   

Geography

El Salvador is located in Central America. It sits on the southwestern side of the sub-continent and has borders with Honduras, and Guatemala. It is also one of the smallest countries by land area in Central America.   

The geography of El Salvador is mainly mountainous [4] – there are two mountain ranges that run parallel, these are separated by a central plateau landmass.

In the north running parallel with the border of Honduras is the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Alternatively, in the south, the land lowers, and there are a staggering 20+ volcanoes that form a line running west to east.

Due to the large volume of volcanoes (most of which are inactive), El Salvador has many volcanic lakes – the largest of which is Ilopango.

Sources

1. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/SV
2. https://theculturetrip.com/central-america/el-salvador/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-spots-in-el-salvador/
3. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-currency-of-el-salvador.html
4. https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/camerica/elsalvador/svland.htm
5. https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/el-salvador/government