El Salvador: Background & Geography

Introduction El Salvador
Background:
 El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.
Geography El Salvador
Location:
 Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:
 13 50 N, 88 55 W
Map references:
 Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
 total: 21,040 sq km
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
 total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline:
 307 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate:
 tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Terrain:
 mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural resources:
 hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Land use:
 arable land: 27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11%
other: 60.62% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 360 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
 deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
 smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

See Also: