25+ Interesting Facts About El Salvador

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  1. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America by area. Its total land area is 21,041 km2. The meaning of El Salvador in English is “the savior.”
  2. But due to its highest population density (around 300 people per km2) in the region, El Salvador is the 3rd most populous country in Central America out of seven countries.
  3. El Salvador is facing the double burden of malnutrition. Around 17% of El Salvadorian children are chronically malnourished, while 60% of adults in the country are either overweight or obese.
  4. Due to extensive volcanic activity, El Salvador is famous as the “Land of Volcanoes.” This volcanic activity makes El Salvador the largest producer of geothermal energy in Central America.
  5. The first advanced Meso-American civilization in El Salvador was of the Olmecs, who arrived in 2000 BC. The country was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians, around 10,000 years ago.
  6. El Salvador has the highest percentage of Spanish speakers in Central America. Almost the entire population (around 99%) can speak this language. 
  7. According to the latest findings, an eruption of the Ilopango volcano in El Salvador caused world famine in the 6th Century. The rock expelled by this eruption was the biggest volcanic event on earth in the past 7,000 years. It was also the largest eruption in Central America. (Source)
    Ilopango caldera
    Ilopango volcano eruption caused world famine in the 6th Century

  8. El Salvador is known for destructive earthquakes due to its location over three tectonic plates (Cocos Plate, North American Plate, and Caribbean Plate). Due to high seismic activity, its capital city, San Salvador, has been destroyed twice (in 1756 and 1854).
  9. The Salvadoran Civil War took the lives of more than 70,000 people. This 12-year-long war (1979 to 1992) also forced the (internal and external) displacement of more than 1 million citizens.
  10. During a 1970 World Cup qualifier between El Salvador and Honduras, a war erupted between the two neighbors. This war, known as the football war or 100 hours war, continued for just a few days (14 to 20 July 1969) but resulted in around 2,000 casualties from both sides. (Source)
  11. In 1825, El Salvador became the 2nd country in the Americas to abolish slavery. Haiti achieved this milestone in 1804.
  12. El Salvador has the highest production of natural indigo in Latin America. The country has one of the two organic indigo farms in the world.
  13. El Salvador is the only country in Central America without a Caribbean coastline.
  14. Around 99% population of El Salvador is mestizo or white (86% mestizo and 13% white). It is one of the highest percentages of mestizos in the world. 
  15. An ancient Maya site in El Salvador is known as the “Pompeii of the Americas” thanks to several similarities in both these sites. (Source)
  16. El Salvador colon was the official currency of El Salvador from 1892 to 2001. It was replaced by the US dollar as currency in 2001. (Source)
  17. El Salvador has the 4th highest birth rate (19/1,000) in Central America and the Caribbean region. Its birth rate is only behind Guatemala (23), Belize (22), and Haiti (22). (Source) 
  18. There are seven species of sea turtles in the world. Four of these species are present on the beaches of El Salvador. (Source)
  19. El Salvador has just a single UNESCO Heritage site. Joya de Ceren Archaeological Site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993. (Source)
  20. El Salvador has the lowest percentage of Africans in Latin America. Only 0.01% of El Salvadorians have African descent. (Source)
  21. The law & order situation in El Salvador is one of the worst on a global level. The homicide rate is one of the highest in the world. There are around 60,000 gang members in El Salvador. (Source) 
    Tattoo on the back of a gang member
    There are more than 60,000 gang members in El Salvador

  22. El Salvador is the worst country in the world regarding the safety of females. The femicide rate in El Salvador is the highest in the world. (Source)
  23. El Salvador has participated in most of the Summer Olympics since 1968. But the country has never won an Olympic medal. The best performance by an El Salvadorian player is 9th position in Men’s Judo competition in the 1984 Summer Games. This Central American country hasn’t participated in Winter Olympics yet. (Source)
  24. Education is free in El Salvador through 9th grade (up to 14 years of age). However, the literacy rate in the country is less than 80% for both genders. (Source)
  25. El Imposible is El Salvador’s largest national park. It includes 400 hectares of forests with around 500 plant species, 5000 butterfly, 285 birds, 100 mammals, and 53 reptiles and amphibian species. More than 8,000 tourists visit this park every year.
  26. Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador is a famous tourist attraction visited by 5,000 tourists every month. This lake of volcanic origin is nearly 50,000 years old.

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