Short facts about the geography of El Salvador

Location:

Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates:

13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total:  21,040 sq km land:  20,720 sq km water:  320 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total:  545 km border 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

Land use:

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

Irrigated land:

1,200 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes; Hurricane Mitch damage

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

Geography - note:

smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

Source: World Factbook