Map of El Salvador

Shaded relief map of El Salvador

Satellite image of El Salvador in April 2002

Economic activity of El Salvador, 1980

Vegetation and land use, 1980

The geography of El Salvador is unique among the nations of Central America. The country borders the North Pacific Ocean to the south and southwest, with Guatemala to the north-northwest and Honduras to the north-northeast. In the southeast, the Golfo de Fonseca separates it from Nicaragua. El Salvador is the smallest Central American country in area and is the only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea. Image File history File links El_salvador_map. ... Image File history File links El_salvador_map. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1300x1078, 251 KB) El Salvador http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1300x1078, 251 KB) El Salvador http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1058x599, 131 KB) Satellite image of El Salvador in April 2002. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1058x599, 131 KB) Satellite image of El Salvador in April 2002. ... Image File history File linksMetadata El_salvador_econ_1980. ... Image File history File linksMetadata El_salvador_econ_1980. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (666x680, 103 KB) El Salvador http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (666x680, 103 KB) El Salvador http://www. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gulf of Fonseca from space, July 1997 The Gulf of Fonseca (Spanish: Golfo de Fonseca) is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean Caribbean Sea from space (top left). ...

Geographic coordinates: 13°50′N, 88°55′W

El Salvador, along with the rest of Central America (a region comprising mainly Mexico and 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. The motion of these plates causes the area's earthquake and volcanic activity. ... An earthquake is the result from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ...

Most of Central America and the Caribbean Basin rests on the relatively motionless Caribbean Plate. The Pacific Ocean floor, however, is being carried northeast by the underlying motion of the Cocos Plate. Ocean floor material is largely composed of basalt, which is relatively dense; when it strikes the lighter granite rocks of Central America, the ocean floor is forced down under the land mass, creating the deep Middle America Trench that lies off the coast of El Salvador. The subduction of the Cocos Plate accounts for the frequency of earthquakes near the coast. 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. The Caribbean basin is generally defined as the area running from Florida westward along the Gulf coast, then south along the Mexican coast through Central America and then eastward across the northern coast of South America. ... Detail of tectonic plates from: Tectonic plates of the world. ...  The Cocos plate, shown in gray-blue, off the Pacific coast of Central America The Cocos Plate (Chocos Plate) is an oceanic tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Central America, named for Cocos Island, which rides upon it. ... Basalt Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... The trench lies at the convergence of the Pacific, Cocos, Nazca, North American, and Caribbean plates The Middle America Trench is an oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, stretching from central Mexico to Costa Rica. ... Strokkur geyser, Iceland A geyser is a type of hot spring that erupts periodically, ejecting a column of hot water and steam into the air. ...

North of El Salvador, Mexico and most of Guatemala are riding on the westward-moving North American Plate that butts against the northern edge of the stationary Caribbean Plate in southern Guatemala. The grinding action of these two plates creates a fault, similar to the San Andreas fault in California, that runs the length of the valley of the Rio Motagua in Guatemala. Motion along this fault is the source of earthquakes in northernmost El Salvador.  The North American plate, shown in brown The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Cherskiy Range in East Siberia. ... Detail of tectonic plates from: Tectonic plates of the world. ... San Andreas may refer to: San Andreas Fault, a geologic fault that runs through California, USA San Andreas, California, USA Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a video game by Rockstar Games for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC See also: St Andrews (disambiguation) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid...

El Salvador has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. San Salvador was destroyed in 1756 and 1854, and it suffered heavy damage in the 1919, 1982, and 1986 tremors. The country has over twenty volcanoes, although only two, San Miguel and Izalco, have been active in recent years. From the early nineteenth century to the mid 1950s, Izalco erupted with a regularity that earned it the name "Lighthouse of the Pacific." Its brilliant flares were clearly visible for great distances at sea, and at night its glowing lava turned it into a brilliant luminous cone. San Salvador is the capital city of the nation of El Salvador. ... Izalco is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. ...

Physical features

Two parallel mountain ranges cross El Salvador east to west with a central plateau between them and a narrow coastal plain hugging the Pacific. These physical features divide the country into two physiographic regions. The mountain ranges and central plateau, covering 85 percent of the land, comprise the interior highlands. The remaining coastal plains are referred to as the Pacific lowlands. Image:NONE Monte Roraima In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat rural area. ...

The northern range of mountains, the Sierra Madre, form a continuous chain along the border with Honduras. Elevations in this region range from 1,600 to 2,200 meters. The area was once heavily forested, but overexploitation led to extensive erosion, and it has become semibarren. As a result, it is the country's most sparsely populated zone, with little farming or other development. Sierra Madre (known in Mexico as Sierra Madre de Chiapas) is a mountain range (located at ) which runs northwest-southeast from the state of Chiapas in Mexico across Guatemala and into El Salvador and Honduras. ...

The southern range of mountains is actually a discontinuous chain of more than twenty volcanoes, clustered into five groups. The westernmost group, near the Guatemalan border, contains Izalco and Santa Ana, which at 2,365 meters is the highest volcano in El Salvador. Between the cones lie alluvial basins and rolling hills eroded from ash deposits. The volcanic soil is rich, and much of El Salvador's coffee is planted on these slopes. Izalco is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. ... Alluvium is soil land deposited by a river or other running water. ... A cup of coffee Workers sorting and pulping coffee beans in Guatemala Coffee is a widely consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds — commonly referred to as beans — of the coffee plant. ...

The central plateau constitutes only 25 percent of the land area but contains the heaviest concentration of population and the country's largest cities. This plain is about 50 kilometers wide and has an average elevation of 600 meters. Terrain here is rolling, with occasional escarpments, lava fields, and geysers. Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Clepsydra Geyser in Yellowstone A geyser is a special type of hot spring that erupts periodically, ejecting a column of hot water and steam into the air. ...

A narrow plain extends from the coastal volcanic range to the Pacific Ocean. This region has a width ranging from one to thirty-two kilometers with the widest section in the east, adjacent to the Golfo de Fonseca. Near La Libertad, however, the mountains pinch the lowlands out; the slopes of adjacent volcanoes come down directly to the sea. Surfaces in the Pacific lowlands are generally flat or gently rolling and result from alluvial deposits from nearby slopes. Gulf of Fonseca from space, July 1997 The Gulf of Fonseca (Spanish: Golfo de Fonseca) is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. ... La Libertad is a department in Peru. ... Alluvium is soil land deposited by a river or other running water. ...

El Salvador has over 300 rivers, the most important of which is the Rio Lempa. Originating in Guatemala, the Rio Lempa cuts across the northern range of mountains, flows along much of the central plateau, and finally cuts through the southern volcanic range to empty into the Pacific. It is El Salvador's only navigable river, and it and its tributaries drain about half the country. 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. Lempa River (Spanish: ) is a river in southern El Salvador. ...

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 largest lake, the Lago de Ilopango, lies just to the east of the capital. Other large lakes include the Lago de Coatepeque in the west and the Lago de Güija on the Guatemalan border. The Cerron Grande Dam on the Rio Lempa has created a large reservoir, the Embalse Cerron Grande, in northern El Salvador. Lake Ilopango seen from Santiago Texacuangos Lake Ilopango is a scenic 8x11 km large volcanic caldera in central El Salvador, at . ...

Izalco has erupted at least 51 times since 1770. It earned the nickname "Lighthouse of the Pacific" because it was the most active volcano in Central America. Izalco is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. ...

Climate

El Salvador has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons. Temperatures vary primarily with elevation and show little seasonal change. The Pacific lowlands are uniformly hot; the central plateau and mountain areas are more moderate. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ...

The rainy season, known locally as invierno, or winter, extends from May to October. Almost all the annual rainfall occurs during this time, and yearly totals, particularly on southern-facing mountain slopes, can be as high as 200 centimeters. Protected areas and the central plateau receive lesser, although still significant, amounts. Rainfall during this season generally comes from low pressure over the Pacific and usually falls in heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Although hurricanes occasionally form in the Pacific, they seldom affect El Salvador, with the notable exception of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. This article is about weather phenomena. ... Lowest pressure 905 mbar (hPa) Damage $6. ...

From November through April, the northeast trade winds control weather patterns. During these months, air flowing from the Caribbean has had most of the precipitation wrung out of it while passing over the mountains in Honduras. By the time this air reaches El Salvador, it is dry, hot, and hazy. This season is known locally as verano, or summer. The trade winds are a pattern of wind that are found in bands around the Earths equatorial region. ...

Temperatures vary little with season; elevation is the primary determinant. The Pacific lowlands are the hottest region, with annual averages ranging from 25°C to 29°C. San Salvador is representative of the central plateau, with an annual average temperature of 23°C and absolute high and low readings of 38°C and 7°C, respectively. Mountain areas are the coolest, with annual averages from 12°C to 23°C and minimum temperatures sometimes approaching freezing.

Other facts

Area:
total: 23,040 km²
land: 20,720 km²
water: 320 km²

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:
total: 545 km
coconut countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline: 307 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land Undershot water wheels on the Orontes River in Hama, Syria Saint Anthony Falls Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose. ... Krafla Geothermal Station in northeast Iceland Geothermal power is the use of geothermal heat to generate electricity. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 29%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 31% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,200 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: El Salvador is known as the Land of Volcanoes; there are frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; catastophic hurricanes are uncommon.

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes; Hurricane Mitch damage Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area or wasteland. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as understood by materials science, see Erosion (materials science) For erosion as an English analogy, see Erosion (figurative) For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil... Toxic waste is a hazardous waste that is toxic (poisonous or hazardous) for a variety of reasons. ... Lowest pressure 905 mbar (hPa) Damage $6. ...

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... UNFCCC logo. ... Earth as seen by Apollo 17 The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty on global warming. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Siberian Tiger, a subspecies of tiger. ... Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment and generally exhibits one or more of these characteristics: ignitability corrosivity reactivity (explosive) toxicity Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. ... The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes and was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including the five nuclear weapon states at the time (which did not... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ...

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.