Official Name: República de El Salvador (Republic of El Salvador).

Area: Central America

Size: 21,040 km²

Coastline: 307 km

Independence: from Spain September 15, 1821

Form of Govt.: Republic

Head of Govt.: President

Capital: San Salvador

Largest City: San Salvador

Demographics (2005): 6,822,378, 318.7 /km²

Mestizo 90%,, White 9%, Amerindian 1%,

GDP per Capita (2005): $4,700

Languages: Spanish, Nahuatl

Geography: A volcanic mountain chain dominates the country's landscape. They are separated by the plateaus and valleys of the central region and narrow coastal belt. The San Miguel, Santa Ana, San Salvador, and Izalco volcanoes have all been active in modern times. The largest natural lake is Lake Güija: 44 km². Embalse Cerrón Grande (350 km²) on Lempa river is an artificial lake. Frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands. The coastal plains along the Pacific are very hot, but humidity is relatively low