Country Information on El Salvador

Terrain El Salvador consists mainly of a central plateau, which is dissected by river valleys. The plateau is located between two volcanic ranges, which occupy the country's east and west. The narrow coastal plain on the Pacific is approx. 24 km wide. There are high, rugged mountains in the extreme north-west. Here, El Salvador covers part of the central mountain range of the Middle American land bridge. The plateau is at an average altitude of 610 m. The country's highest elevation is El Pital with 2,730 m, with Santa Ana being the highest volcano with 2,385 m above sea level. El Salvador is frequently afflicted by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Climate El Salvador is a tropical country. The coastal plain along the Pacific is very hot, although the humidity is relatively low. In the mountains temperate tropical temperatures prevail, from about 600 to 1,200 m the climate is spring-like and mild. A rainy season from May through October brings the average annual rainfall for most of the country to about 2,030 mm. Dry and often dusty conditions prevail from November through April. The average temperature of San Salvador is around 24°C. Fauna/Flora The mountains of El Salvador are covered with grassland and with sparse oak and spruce forests. The natural vegetation of the country consists of deciduous trees and subtropical grassland. This vegetation was largely pushed back by coffee plantations and the opening up of arable land. El Salvador's fauna is not really rich in species compared with other Central American countries. However, the lakes and rivers teem with fish. The bird species include humming birds, flamingos, and parrots. History/Politics The Chibchas and the Maya (the latter being less influential) inhabited the west of El Salvador several centuries before the Spanish explorers arrived. After the conquest of Middle America (1524/25) by Pedro de Alvarado, El Salvador became a part of Guatemala. In 1821, the country declared its independence from Spain and joined the United Provinces of Central America. In 1841, El Salvador became completely independent. Given the fight for territorial gains, the country went through a turbulent period in the second half of the 19th century; the early 20th century, however, was relatively stable, and the economy made considerable progress. Cultivation and export of coffee became the leading branch of industry. From 1931 to 1944, dictator General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez ruled the country. In 1932, he violently put down a popular uprising resulting from the world-wide economic crisis in 1929. Towards the end of the forties, the oppressed classes called for economic and social reforms. The various military juntas, however, ignored these demands. In 1961, a directorate introduced the first economic reforms, which were implemented during the succeeding two decades. The reforms were not really effective and were boycotted by the big landowners. In 1969, war broke out between El Salvador and Honduras where 300,000 Salvadorans had emigrated to as a result of soaring unemployment in their home country. In the early 1970s, popular and labour movements managed to gain momentum in their fight for equal rights, leading to outright civil war (1979-1992). During that time, politico-military organizations joined the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) as a broad-based alliance in opposition to the government. The 1989 elections were won by the rightist National Republican Alliance (ARENA), which now had a majority in the National Assembly. Its leader, Alfredo Cristiani, relieved President Duarte from his office. UN-mediated peace talks between the government and guerrillas were resumed, while armed clashes continued. In 1991, Cristiani and the rebel leaders agreed upon a peace treaty, which was signed in January 1992. This ended the civil war, which had cost the lives of some 75,000 people and lead to 8,000 people missing and about a million having fled the country. The 1994 elections were won by the rightist candidate Armando Calderón Sol. After the International Court in Den Haag had transferred disputed frontier areas to Honduras, there were various border clashes in the following years. The termination of these fights was announced officially in February 1997. In 1999, Francisco Flores became president of El Salvador. Economy The civil war and severe earthquakes in the 1980s considerably restricted the economic development of the country. Approx. 40% of the population engage in agriculture, 15% in manufacturing and 45% in the services sector. About one third of the country is fertile. Coffee is the most important agricultural commodity and is today grown on big farms on the central plateau. It accounts for 60% of exports, other exports are cotton and sugar cane. Maize, millet, rice, and beans are grown for subsistence. Culture The people of El Salvador are mainly a mixture of Indians and Spaniards, and their culture reflects this heritage. The folk music of El Salvador resembles that of the other Middle American countries. In some dances elements from various European countries blend. The sixties brought a new kind of folk music called nueva canción (new song), in which the turbulent political development of the region is reflected. This musical style is characterized by blunt political openness. Criticism, opposition, and even armed resistance are the main themes of these songs.