|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, September 15.
|RNature and climate:|N Two volcanic mountainchains cross El Salvador. Earthquakes are usual. Highest peak 2 386 m.a.s.l.
Average temperature 20 - 25°C throughout the year and percipitation about 2000 mm.
|RPeople:|N The smallest and most densely populated nation in Central America. Mestizoes 89% and Indians 10%.
|REconomy:|N 40% of the population is occupied in agriculture, 16% in manufacturing and 27% in services.
Comparatively well developed manufacturing, in spite of few natural resources.
Manufacturing concentrated on textiles and consumer goods.
Coffee most important crop as well as most important export goods.
Cotton, rice, sugar and maize are other important crops.
|RHistory:|N Under Spanish sovereignty from the early 16th century until 1821 when El Salvador along with several other nations formed the Central American Federation. Left this federation in 1839 and became an independent nation.
The 19th and the early 20th centuries were unstable with several military coups and changing regimes.
In 1870 universal suffrage and free education was inaugurated, but this did not dispel the political unrest.
Between 1931 and 1944 the general Hernandez Martinez ruled as dictator.
In 1957 universal suffrage was reinstalled.
From 1962 to 1977 Arturo Armando Molina was president and in 1977 Carlos Humberos Romero was elected president. He was ousted by the military in 1979.
Democracy was reintroduced in 1984 and the christdemocrat Jose Napoleon Duarte elected president.
In 1989 he was succeeded by Alfredo Cristiani, who with an agreement in 1992 managed to put an end to the 12 year long civil war. This civil war had taken the lives of more than 75 000 people.
The truce make military and social reforms possible and is supervised by the UN.
