El Salvador Geography
LocationCentral America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic coordinates
13 50 N, 88 55 W
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: 31.85%
permanent crops: 12.07%
other: 56.08% (2001)
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, 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
