The History of El Salvador

The country of El Salvador, though born into violent beginnings, has become a peaceful, nurturing nation. The tiny country is located in Central America, below Guatemala and Honduras. The climate is generally tropical, yet has distinctive wet and dry seasons.

Native Inhabitants

The native inhabitants of El Salvador were the Pipil, Pocomames and Lencas indians. The Pipils were decedents of the Aztecs. El Salvador was discovered by the Spanish Admiral Andrés Niño in 1522. El Salvadorans lived under Spanish rule until 1811, when the upheaval against the Spanish began. It was not until 1838 that El Salvador was deemed an independent republic. As a result of the small country's freedom, it was at constant war with neighboring countries until 1930.

People

El Salvador has a population of 5.7 million, or Salvadorans. The primary ethnicity is mestizo, which is a combination of Brazilian, Portuguese and Spanish. About half of the population of El Salvador is Catholic, with Protestants a close second. The Salvadoran government offers free schooling for their children through high-school. The country has a literacy rate of 86 percent, with Spanish spoken as the national language.

Economy

The main exports of El Salvador are coffee, sugar, poultry and livestock. Out of the manufactured goods, $4 billion comes from exports of goods including textiles, medicine, tuna and iron products.

Conflicts

El Salvador has been plagued with wars since its brutal beginnings. In 1811, the Salvadorans rose against the Spanish rule, in their first revolution. It was not until 1821, that several Central American countries banded together to push Spain out of the region. The United Provinces of Central America was formed in 1823, which ultimately ended Spanish rule in five Central American countries. Their founder, General Manuel Jose Arce, fell from power when the federation dissolved in 1838. It was in that year, El Salvador became an independent nation. El Salvador's conflict continued, however, and was constantly invaded by other Central American countries until the 1930s. At that time, the country had fallen under a dictatorship of 14 wealthy families, and remained under a similar rule until the civil war began in 1979. The Salvadorans' civil war ended in 1992, when the United Nations stepped in, and began negotiations for peace treaties.

Culture

Since the end of the civil war in 1992, the culture of El Salvador flourished. Salvadorans enjoy mostly pop music from the United States and Mexico. The food in El Salvador is a mixture of Spanish influence, and indigenous ingredients. Famous writers from El Salvador include, Manlio Argueta and Francisco Rodriguez. An art school, in the town of La Palma, has become the world-renowned project of artist, Fernando Llort.

Resources

• U.S. Department of State: Government of El Salvador