El Salvador Facts

The Republic of El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. The easternmost region of the country lies on the Gulf of Fonesca. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Guatemala to the north and Honduras to the east. It is the most densely populated country in Central America.

San Salvador is the capital of the country. San Salvador means “Holy Savior”. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador (The City of the Great Holy Savior). It is also called The Valley of the Hammocks, because it is surrounded by volcanoes and is prone to earthquakes. Major landmarks of the city are: Metropolitan Cathedral, The Presidential Mansion, The National Palace and the National Theatre of El Salvador.

The Salvadoran colon was the currency of El Salvador from 1892 to 2001. Its ISO 4217 code was SVC. It was substituted by the US Dollar in 2001. The ISO 4217 code of US Dollar is USD.

San Salvador is the largest city of El Salvador. The city has the third largest population in Central America. Greater San Salvador is the second-most-populated metropolitan area in the region. The estimated population of the metropolitan area is 2,290,790, and it covers an area of 239.7 square miles.

What is the official language of El Salvador?

Central American Spanish is the official language. It is spoken by majority of the inhabitants. However, there are some indigenous people who speak their mother tongues. English is also spoken, while German, Dutch and French are taught as secondary languages in private international schools.

Christianity is the dominant religion of the country. Mormonism and Pentecostalism are other notable non-catholic faiths. Islam, Judaism, and Jehovah's Witnesses are the minority religions.

Literacy rate in El-Salvador is 82%. Education is free up to high school.

El Salvador is a presidential representative democratic republic. The president of the country is both the head of the government and the head of the state. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the Legislative Assembly and the government. Mauricio Funes is the current President of El Salvador. He won the presidential elections in 2009 and assumed office on June 1, 2009. Salvador Sanchez Ceren is the vice president of the country. He assumed office on June1, 2009.

The Emblem of El Salvador consist of a triangle at the center. The triangle depicts five volcanoes on the sea. Above the volcanoes is a red Phrygian cap on a staff before a golden sun, and the independence date of the country: September 15, 1821. Over the sun is a rainbow. Behind the emblem are five flags and under it is a scroll which has the national motto of the country: Dios, Union, Libertad ( God, Union, Liberty). All of this is surrounded by a laurel garland tied together beneath the national flag. The emblem was adopted on September 15,1912.

The national day of El Salvador is celebrated on September 15. El Salvador claimed its freedom on September 15, 1821, ending the 300 years of Spanish rule. Parades are the part of the Independence Day celebration.

El Salvador has the third-largest economy in Central America. It has been the most industrialized country in the region. The service sector, at 60.1%, is the major component of GDP. The largest trade flows are with United States of America, Guatemala, China, and Honduras. El Salvador exports coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals and electricity. It imports raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, petroleum and electricity.