Deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes. 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. Between the cones lie alluvial basins and rolling hills eroded from ash deposits. Overview of country's geological attributes, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_El_Salvador&oldid=989361850, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Library of Congress Country Studies, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the World Factbook, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 November 2020, at 15:27. El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. Pacific sunset at Salinitas beach Sonsonate, El Balsamar, La Libertad Department (El Salvador), El Sunzal beach in La Libertad, La Libertad. A fact about the animals of el Salvador is that the crested eagles, and the jaguars are some endangered animals in El Salvador. As a result of its many problems, a coup d'état or government overthrow occurred in October 1979 and a civil war followed from 1980 to 1992. 2) The rank that you see is the CIA reported rank, which may have the following issues: This season is known locally as verano, or summer. Other rivers are generally short and drain the Pacific lowlands or flow from the central plateau through gaps in the southern mountain range to the Pacific. The country has over twenty volcanoes, although only two, San Miguel and Izalco, have been active in recent years. The total land area of El Salvador is 23,041 km², with 20,721 km² of land and 320 km² of water. El Salvador is mountainous and known as the "land of volcanoes." El Salvador is party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, CITES, Basel Convention, Partial Test Ban Treaty, Montreal Protocol, Ramsar Convention. Izalco has erupted at least 51 times since 1770. The southern range of mountains is actually a discontinuous chain of more than twenty volcanoes, clustered into five groups. El Salvador has a total area of 21,041 km 2 (8,124 sq mi). It is the smallest Spanish-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere. The first revolt in Central America against the Spanish took place in El Salvador in 1811, but it was not until 1821 that independence from Spain was achieved. The rainy season, known locally as invierno, or winter, extends from May to October. The Geography of El Salvador. El Salvador is about the size of Israel and the U.S states of New Jersey and Vermont, but has the population size of Libya and Lebanon. (8,124 sq. El Salvador claims a territorial sea of 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi). GEOGRAPHY El Salvador, the smallest Spanish-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere, is located on the western side of the Central American isthmus. 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. She holds an M.A. Attacking the Messenger: Profile of Salvadoran political cartoonist Otto Meza ... El Salvador to voice their opposition to the proposed gold-mining project of Pacific Rim, a Canadian mining company. Natural hazards: The Pacific lowlands are uniformly hot and humid; the central plateau and mountain areas are more moderate. From the early nineteenth century to the mid-1950s, Izalco erupted with a regularity that earned it the name "Lighthouse of the Pacific." In the southeast, the Golfo de Fonseca separates it from Nicaragua. Geography. Central America lies in a region which has constant tectonic activity… In the southeast, the Golfo de Fonseca separates it from Nicaragua. The topography of El Salvador consists mainly of mountains, but the country does have a narrow, relatively flat coastal belt and a central plateau. I hope that you learned about this awesome countries geography! El Salvador has 590 km of borders, including 391 km of borders with Honduras and 199 km with Guatemala. Most of Central America and the Caribbean Basin rests on the relatively motionless Caribbean Plate. in geography and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Geographic information Systems (GIS). El Salvador, along with the rest of Central America, is one of the most seismologically active regions on earth, situated atop three of the large tectonic plates that constitute the Earth's surface. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about El Salvador Geography 2020 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page. The highest place of El Salvador is 2,730 meters above sea level, at Cerro El Pital, in the municipality of San Ignacio… Numerous lakes of volcanic origin are found in the interior highlands; many of these lakes are surrounded by mountains and have high, steep banks. The remaining coastal plains are referred to as the Pacific lowlands. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of El Salvador Geography 2020 information contained here. It is the smallest of the Central American countries, with an area equal to that of Massachusetts, and it is the only one without an Atlantic coastline. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. The subduction of the Cocos Plate accounts for the frequency of earthquakes near the coast. Other large lakes include the Lago de Coatepeque in the west and the Lago de Güija on the Guatemalan border. The main industries in the country are food processing, beverage manufacturing, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, and light metals. El Salvador, a small country of Central America, has a tropical climate, hot all year round along the coast and below 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), which are called tierras calientes, with little difference in the temperature (only a few degrees) over the seasons. 25.23 km3 (2011). Mountains separate the country into the southern coastal belt, the central valleys and plateaus, and the northern mountains. Its territory is situated wholly on the western side of the isthmus, and it is therefore the only Central American country that lacks a Caribbean coast. By 1810, however, the citizens of El Salvador began to push for independence. This plain is about 50 kilometers wide and has an average elevation of 600 meters. Exclusive economic zone: The westernmost group, near the Guatemalan border, contains Izalco and Santa Ana, which at 2,365 meters is the highest volcano in El Salvador. The Pacific lowlands are the hottest region, with annual averages ranging from 25 to 29 °C (77.0 to 84.2 °F). These physical features divide the country into two physiographic regions. This is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Massachusetts. During the 1970s, the country was marred by severe political, social and economic problems. Elevations in this region range from 1,600 to 2,700 meters. From November through to April, the northeast trade winds control weather patterns. El Salvador has a coastline of 307 km. A narrow plain extends from the coastal volcanic range to the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. Movement Human Environment Interaction Most of the transportation in the U.S is used in El Salvador, but there are some different ones. Motion along this fault is the source of earthquakes in northernmost El Salvador. El Salvador has signed, but not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau. The motion of these plates causes the area's earthquake and volcanic activity. Salvadoran Geography. The population density of El Salvador is 747 people per square mile or 288.5 people per square kilometer. El Salvador - Population Growth and Age Distribution. El Salvador is also located along a strip of land that goes from the Pacific coast of North America to the southernmost point of Chile that is called Ring of Fire. Geography Archives: El Salvador. tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands, Terrain: El Salvador is a country located in Central America between Guatemala and Honduras. Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras . The highest point is Cerro El Pital, at 2,730 m. Maritime claims: El Salvador borders the North Pacific Ocean to the south and southwest, with Guatemala to the north-northwest and Honduras to the north-northeast. The country is the smallest in Central America and uniquely within the region, it has no Caribbean coastline. El Salvador is bounded by Honduras to the north and east, by the Pacific Ocean to the south, and by Guatemala to the northwest. As a result, it is the country's most sparsely populated zone, with little farming or other development. It is positioned in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth. As the rocks constituting the ocean floor are forced down, they melt, and the molten material pours up through weaknesses in the surface rock, producing volcanoes and geysers. Because El Salvador is located not far from the equator, its climate is tropical in nearly all areas except for its higher elevations where the climate is considered more temperate. Location and Geography. El Salvador is the smallest Central American country and is the only one without a coastline on the Caribbean sea. Temperatures vary little with season; elevation is the primary determinant. The total land area of El Salvador is 23,041 km², with 20,721 km² of land and 320 km² of water. hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land. In 1840, however, the United Provinces of Central America dissolved and El Salvador became fully independent. El Salvador has 590 km of borders, including 391 km of borders with Honduras and 199 km with Guatemala. Land use (2012 estimate) includes 34.03 percent arable land, 10.86 percent permanent crops, 55.12 percent other. El Salvador Public Holidays El Salvador Upclose Capital: San Salvador Population: 6,822,378 (June 2006) Size: 21,040 sq. El Salvador is one of the largest producers of geothermal energy in the world, with its peers in the geothermal generation being Costa Rica and Iceland. Uniquely situated in a cloud forest, the mountain is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna. There is a lot of grass for gardening. mi.) The Cerron Grande Dam on the Rio Lempa has created a large reservoir, the Embalse Cerron Grande, in northern El Salvador. It is basically the union of two tectonic plaques. El Salvador has over 300 rivers, the most important of which is the Rio Lempa. San Salvador, which is located in central El Salvador at an elevation of 1,837 feet (560 m), has an average yearly temperature of 86.2 degrees (30.1˚C). On September 15, 1821, El Salvador and the other Spanish provinces in Central America declared their independence from Spain. It has 191 miles (307 km) of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Fonseca and it is situated between Honduras and Guatemala. The population of El Salvador increased from 1.9 million inhabitants in 1950 to 4.1 million in 1975 and 4.7 million in 1984. In January 1992 a series of peace agreements ended the war that killed more than 75,000 people. Today, El Salvador is considered a republic and its capital city is San Salvador. Terrain here is rolling, with occasional escarpments, lava fields, and geysers. It is El Salvador's only navigable river, it and its tributaries drain about half the country. El Salvador is known as the "Land of Volcanoes"; there are frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; catastrophic hurricanes are uncommon. It is bordered north and west by Guatemala, north and east by Honduras, and south and west by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's legislative branch is made up of a unicameral Legislative Assembly, while its judicial branch consists of a Supreme Court. The geography of El Salvador can be divided into two regions, the first region includes the mountain ranges and the central plateaus while the second region is made up of the coastal plains, commonly known as the Pacific lowlands. Agriculture also plays a role in the economy of El Salvador and the main products of that industry are coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum, beef, and dairy products. Uniformly hot and humid ; the Central plateau receive lesser, although still significant, amounts has average. 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