República de El Salvador

Origin of Name The name "El Salvador" comes from Provincia de Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo, el Salvador del Mundo ("Province of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World"), a territory within the Spanish Kingdom of Guatemala named for its capital La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador ("City of the Great Holy Savior"), which was founded in 1525 by Gonzalo de Alvarado and named after the Feast of the Holy Savior.

Location Central America
Bordered By Guatemala, Honduras

Area 8,124 sq mi (21,041 sq km)
Greatest Distance N-S 88 mi (142 km)
Greatest Distance E-W 163 mi (262 km)
Coastline 189 mi (304 km)
Highest Point Cerro El Pital; 8,597 ft (2,730 m)
Lowest Point Pacific coast; sea level
Natural Resources hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Nationality Salvadoran
Population (July 2015 est) 6,141,350
Largest City San Salvador
Ethnic Groups mestizo, white, Amerindian
Religions Roman Catholic, other
Languages Spanish, indigenous

Capital San Salvador
Form of Government republic
Present Constitution Adopted December 20, 1983
Chief of State and Head of Government President Salvador Sanchez Ceren (since June 1, 2014)
Cabinet Council of Ministers appointed by the President
Legislature unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judiciary Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Local Administration 14 departments

Currency U.S. Dollar
Per Capita Income $8,000
Industries food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals
Agricultural Products coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products; shrimp
Export Commodities offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity
Import Commodities raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity

Independence Achieved September 15, 1821
From Spain
National Holiday Independence Day; September 15
Flag three equal horizontal bands of blue, white, and blue, with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water, as well as peace and prosperity

Honduras
Spain

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