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San Salvador El Valle de las Hamacas
Boulevard de los Próceres (Autopista Sur), San Salvador; one of Central America's widest
Flag Seal
Nickname: San Sivar
Coordinates: 13°41′24.00″N 89°11′24.01″W / 13.69, -89.1900028
Country	El Salvador
Department	San Salvador
Established	1525
Government
- Mayor	Violeta Menjívar
Area
- City	72.5 km² (28 sq mi)
- Metro	569.8 km² (220 sq mi)
Population (2006)
- City	510,367
- Metro	2,224,223
Website: http://www.amss.gob.sv/

San Salvador is the capital city of the nation of El Salvador. The valley where it is located was earlier known as "El Valle de las Hamacas" (The Valley of the Hammocks in English) because of its high seismic activity. San Salvador is the second largest city in Central America. It covers an area of 568 km² (220 sq. mi.) and is home to nearly 2.2 million people. It is home to one-third of El Salvador's population and one-half of the country's wealth. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... San Salvador can refer to any of a number of geographic locations: The city of San Salvador, capital of the Republic of El Salvador in Central America. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2160x1440, 569 KB) Boulevard de los Próceres, San Salvador I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_El_Salvador. ... A list of the departments of El Salvador in alphabetical order. ... San Salvador is a department of El Salvador in the west central part of the country. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Violeta Menjivar is the mayor of San Salvador. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

History

The origins of the city can be traced to before the Spanish Conquest. It is near the present location of San Salvador that the Pipil groups, established their capital, Cuscatlán. Not very much is known about this city, since it was abandoned by its inhabitants in an effort to avoid Spanish rule. The Pipil are an indigenous people who live in western El Salvador. ... Motto Dios, Unión, Libertad(Spanish) God, Union, Liberty Anthem Himno Nacional de El Salvador Capital (and largest city) San Salvador Official languages Spanish Government Republic  -  President Antonio Saca Independence  -  from Spain September 15, 1821   -  from the UPCA 1842  Area  -  Total 21,040 km² (152nd) 8,124 sq mi   -  Water...

Although the city was founded on April 1, 1525, in the sixteenth century, it was rebuilt and changed locations twice afterwards 1528 and 1545. Originally founded in what is now the archaeological site Ciudad Vieja, north of the present-day city, it was moved to the Valle de Las Hamacas or the Acelhuate Valley, named so due to the intense seismic activity that characterizes it, which boasted more space and more fertile land, thanks to the pristine and now extremely polluted Acelhuate River. As the population of the country remained relatively small up until the early twentieth century, the city grew slowly. The Lachine Canal, in Montreal, is badly polluted Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ...

Today's San Salvador

Today, in San Salvador is a modern city and is the second most populated city in Central America right after Guatemala City. While the city proper has a population of about half a million, and covers an area of approximately 72 square kilometers, the explosive growth during and after the war created a metropolitan area (the AMSS, Area Metropolitana de San Salvador) that is often administered as a whole[1]. The AMSS covers an area of approximately 568 square kilometers and 2.2 million people. For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ...

The Pan-American Highway runs through the city, connecting it with other urban areas in Central America and the United States. San Salvador is also the overall transportation and economic hub of the nation, since it is home to one third of the population and one half of the country's wealth. The Pan American Highway from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina. ...

Office Buildings in Salvador del Mundo area.

New Residential Buildings in San Benito neighborhood.

The city's modern downtown area has many high-rise buildings, but very few of the historic landmarks remain, due to the earthquakes that have hit the city since its founding in 1525 by Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. Today, the city produces beer, tobacco products, textiles, and soaps. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution‎ (824 × 614 pixels, file size: 107 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution‎ (824 × 614 pixels, file size: 107 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution‎ (824 × 614 pixels, file size: 150 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution‎ (824 × 614 pixels, file size: 150 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras (Badajoz, c. ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation). ... A collection of decorative soaps used for human hygiene purposes. ...

The disparity between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' is prevalent in San Salvador. The city's most affluent suburbs are located in the western areas of the city, which include Escalon, San Benito, Maquilishuat, San Francisco and the newly established Santa Elena. Several housing estates are continuously springing up in the surrounding areas. A number of upscale shopping centres stocking the latest in international fashions include La Gran Via[2], Plaza Mundo, Multiplaza, Galerias, and Plaza Merliot.

Shops and restaurants in La Gran Via.

Some new gated communities come with high tech security, parks, bike tracks, fitness clubs, shops and swimming pools are popular with the city's middle class families. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 242 KB) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 242 KB) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

While San Salvador's more affluent enjoy all the comforts found in any 'first world' nation, including exclusive private clubs, private beach houses, the finest of restaurants, and fancy Discos, these luxuries remain out of reach for the majority of the population. Slums and shanty towns grow just as fast as the city itself, as it struggles to accommodate migrants from the countryside in search of work. In the poorer areas such as Apopa & Soyapango, related violence remains a headache for the authorities. Slums in Delhi, India. ... Shanty town in Manila, Philippines. ... Apopa is a municipality in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. ... Soyapango is a municipality in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with gang. ...

While the city is relatively wealthy compared to the rest of the country (per capita GDP - PPP is approximately USD $10,000, compared to a national average of approximately $4,700),^{[citation needed]} poverty and crime are its major problems. USD redirects here. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ...

Social issues

Crime

In the past years El Salvador has experienced high crime rates including gang-related crimes, and gangs in general. Some say that this was a result of the deportation of thousands of Salvadorans from the U.S, the majority of whom were members of MS13 (Mara Salvatrucha), in the mid-90s. The gangs in which Salvadorans had been involved in the United States began to show up in El Salvador. In 1996, San Salvador was considered the second most dangerous city in the western hemisphere, according to statistics.[3] Mara Salvatrucha is a Los Angeles-based, predominantly Salvadoran, gang that is also active in Central America. ...

Today San Salvador and El Salvador in general experiences some of the highest murder rates in the world, it is also considered an epicenter of the gang crisis, along with Guatemala and Honduras.^[1] In response to this, the government has set up countless programs to try to guide the youth away from gang membership, but so far its efforts have not produced any quick results. One of the government programs was a gang-reform called "Super Mano Dura" (Super Firm Hand). Super Mano Dura had little success and was highly criticized by the U.N., it saw temporary success in 2004 but then saw a rise in crime after 2005. In 2004, the estimated murder rater per 100,000 citizens was 41.2, with 60% of the 2,576 murders committed were gang-related.^[1] The Salvadoran government reported that the Super Mano Dura gang legislation led to a 14% drop in murders in 2004. However, El Salvador recorded a total of 552 murders in January and February 2005 alone. In addition, crime rose 7.5% in just a year, from 2005-2006.^[2] Homocides are among the highest with respect to the overall crime rate. The homicides reported in 2006 reached up to 3,906, in 2005 3,779 were reported; 57.2 violent deaths per every 100,000 people.[4] In 2007 the rate rose to 58 per every 100,000. This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... For other uses, see Gang (disambiguation). ...

In the first half of 2007 La Policía Nacional Civil of El Salvador statistics showed lower numbers in homicide, and extortions as well as robbery and theft of vehicles. In 2007 homicides in El Salvador had reduced 22%, extortions reduced 7%, and robbery and theft of vehicles had gone down 18%, all in comparison with the same period in 2006.^[3] Despite the lower numbers of homicides in the first half of 2007, El Salvador continues to have the highest homicide rate in Central America and one of the highest in Latin America with 58 homicides per 100,000 people.^[4] Homicide (Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut, kill) refers to the act of killing another human being. ... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person either obtains money, property or services from another through coercion or intimidation or threatens one with physical harm unless they are paid money or property. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots “Stealing” redirects here. ... The Trikke is a Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Automobiles are among the most commonly used engine powered vehicles. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Pollution

Pollution remains one of the city's biggest problems. Located in a valley, San Salvador is a perfect pollution trap. Fueling this, the city struggles with an increasing traffic problem. New highways and arterial roads offer some relief. According to a study by the United Nations, El Salvador was ranked as the second worst polluter of carbon dioxide emissions in Central America. Air pollution Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (whether chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat, or light) into the environment to such a point that its effects become harmful to human health, other living organisms, or the environment. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... This is a list of countries by carbon dioxide emissions. ... This is a list of countries by carbon dioxide emissions. ...

Transportation

The City of San Salvador is served by 1 international airport: Comalapa International Airport. Ground transportation: San Salvador offers the widest boulevards in Central America and also served by a railroad that connects to other cities such as Soyapango, and Apopa. Comalapa International Airport (IATA airport code: SAL), also known as El Salvador International Airport, is located about 30 miles from San Salvador, El Salvador. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Soyapango is a municipality in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. ... Apopa is a municipality in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. ...

Road to San Salvador, Leaving from Apopa. Vertical road leads to Quezaltepeque. Volcano of San Salvador is seen in the distance.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 893 KB) Road to San Salvador (Troncal del Norte), Leaving from Apopa. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 893 KB) Road to San Salvador (Troncal del Norte), Leaving from Apopa. ... Quezaltepeque is a municipality in the La Libertad department of El Salvador. ...

Demographics

San Salvador is a large city whose population is starkly divided between the wealthy and impoverished. The wealthier neighborhoods boast luxury shops, fine restaurants, five-star hotels, and tree lined avenues. However, most of the other neighborhoods, are hot, dusty and overcrowded, and are plagued by skyrocketing crime rates and gang related violence. Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... This graph shows the rate of non-fatal firearm-related crime in the United States from 1993 to 2003. ...

Approximately 89% of the population is mestizo (mix of Indigenous and European ancestry), 9% is European, and the rest is Indigenous and other small ethnic groups, including Chinese, Jewish and Palestinian. Language(s) Predominantly Spanish, (with a minority of other languages), while Mestiços speaks Portuguese Religion(s) Christianity (Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and other Religions) Related ethnic groups European (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian), Amerindian people, Austronesian people, Hispanics and Latinos Mestizo (Portuguese: Mestiço... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ...

Climate

San Salvador is mainly hot, the coldest months being November, December, January, and February. The temperature is very different at midday than midnight, the factors being the humidity levels, which vary as the day passes. The highest reading ever recorded in San Salvador is 38 degrees Celsius, the lowest being 2 degrees Celsius. The highest dew point is 27 and the lowest -10, both on the Celsius scale. San Salvador has two seasons: rainy and dry. October, November, December, January, February and March being the dry seasons, and April, May, June, July, August and September the rainy.

San Salvador from space, January 1997

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (640 × 639 pixels, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (640 × 639 pixels, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

Disasters

A landslide caused by one of the 2001 El Salvador earthquakes.

The city has suffered from severe earthquakes over the years, the most disastrous of which occurred in 1854. Also worthy of mentioning is the 1917 eruption of the San Salvador volcano, which resulted in three major earthquakes and damaged the city so extensively that the government was forced to move the capital to the present-day city of Santa Tecla, then named Nueva San Salvador. The most recent earthquake, in 2001, resulted in considerable damage, especially in Las Colinas suburb where a landslide destroyed homes and killed many people. During the 1980s, conflicts in El Salvador erupted into a civil war, and many people fled to the city since most of the fighting occurred outside of it (San Salvador itself was not directly affected by the war until the final offensive of 1989). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1474x1992, 931 KB) Landslide during the 2001 El Salvador quake (January 13) Source: http://landslides. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1474x1992, 931 KB) Landslide during the 2001 El Salvador quake (January 13) Source: http://landslides. ... This article is about geological phenomenon. ... The 2001 El Salvador earthquakes were two earthquakes which hit El Salvador on January 13 and February 13, 2001, within exactly one month of each other. ... This article is about the natural seismic phenomenon. ...

Landmarks

• Catedral Metropolitana, Metropolitan Cathedral
• Teatro Nacional de El Salvador, the National Theatre of El Salvador
• Palacio Nacional, the National Palace
• Monumento a Salvador del Mundo, Monument to the Savior of the World
• Casa Presidencial, the Presidential Mansion
• Monumento a La Libertad, Monument to Liberty
• Torre Cuscatlan, the second tallest building in the city (tallest being 105 Campestre A tower) - though only around 260ft tall - owned by Banco Cuscatlán.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior (Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador) is the principal church of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of San Salvador and the seat of the Archbishop of San Salvador. ... Teatro Nacional de El Salvador, or National Theatre of El Salvador, is the grandest theatre in Central America. ... Casa Presidencial, or Presidential House in the Spanish Language, is the official residence of the president of El Salvador. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

Gallery of San Salvador

Great San Salvador, seen from Quetzaltepec volcano Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 538 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,576 × 1,731 pixels, file size: 746 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The San Salvador Volcano (also known as Quetzaltepec) is an ancient volcano situated northwest to the city of San Salvador. ...	North San Salvador Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,576 × 1,920 pixels, file size: 868 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	San Salvador downtown Image File history File links San_Salvador_downtown. ...	The new Metropolitan Cathedral Image File history File linksMetadata NationalcathedralES.jpg‎ Cathedral of San salavdor El Salvador From wikitravel guide of San Salvador Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...
Monumento al Salvador del Mundo (Monument to the Savior of the World) Image File history File links Salvadordelmundo. ...	Monument to Revolution Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 751 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,039 × 830 pixels, file size: 132 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	National Theatre in San Salvador downtown Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	Five star hotel near to one of San Salvador nightlife areas Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 597 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,030 × 768 pixels, file size: 185 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

Sister Cities

• Guatemala City, Guatemala
• Los Angeles, California
• Managua, Nicaragua
• Mexico City, Mexico
• San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Image File history File links Flag_of_Guatemala. ... Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nicaragua. ... This article is about the capital city of Nicaragua. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México, D.F. or simply México) is the capital city of Mexico. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Honduras. ... Nickname: Country Department Foundation June 1536 Government  - Alcalde (Mayor) Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri Area  - Urban 136 km² (52. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Municipality of the city of San Salvador
• San Salvador travel guide from Wikitravel
• San Salvador city tour. El Salvador en Imágenes
• Medical and health information in San Salvador