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
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 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: 12%
other: 61% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 360 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

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

NOTE: The information regarding El Salvador on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of El Salvador Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about El Salvador Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.