|
El Salvador |
 |
Courtesy of the
University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at
Austin.
|
National
Icthus Director or Coordinator: |
Salomon Medina |
|
Capital: |
San Salvador |
|
Population: |
6,614,000 |
|
Population
under age 15: |
34% |
|
Ethnic Groups: |
mestizo 90%,
Amerindian 1%, white 9% |
|
National Products: |
coffee, sugar, corn,
rice, beans, food processing, beverages, petroleum,
chemicals |
|
GDP (Per capita gross domestic product): |
$2,302 |
|
Currency: |
US Dollar &
Salvadoran colon |
|
Life Expectancy at Birth: |
71 years |
|
Infant Mortality: |
26 deaths/1000 live
births |
|
Protestant / Evangelical Churches: |
8,500 |
|
Icthus Web: |
Click Here |
History of Country: Pipils,
descendants of the Aztecs and the Toltecs of Mexico, lived in
the land now called El Salvador in the 12th century. In
1524, Pedro de Alvarado attacked and gained control of the
territory. After it became independent from Spain in 1821,
El Salvador was briefly a part of the Mexican Empire of Augustín
de Iturbide, later joined the Central American Federation. Since
independence, the country experienced frequent battles with
other Central American republics. It was ruled by a series of
military dictatorships from 1931 to 1979.
In 1969, El Salvador and Honduras engaged in the five-day
"Soccer War" after Honduran landowners expelled thousands of
Salvadorans from its country. It was known as "Soccer War"
because it broke out when the two countries were playing in a
three-game elimination match for the World Cup preliminaries.
In the 1970s, due to societal inequalities, weak economy and the
repressive measures of dictatorship, a civil war between the
government, controlled by the the right-wing party, and leftist
anti-government guerrilla units broke out. The U.S. intervened.
Within two years, about 30,000 people were killed by the
right-wing death squads backed by the military. In January 1992,
the government signed a peace treaty with the guerrilla forces,
formally ending the 12-year civil war that had killed 75,000.
Hurricane Mitch hit El Salvador in late October 1998, resulting
widespread flooding and landslides, hundreds of people dead or
missing. To make it worse, the country was struck by two major
earthquakes in 2001, causing 1,259 deaths, 9,000 injuries and
1.6 million homeless, damaging about 25% of the nation's
housing. Following the earthquakes, a severe drought destroyed
80% of the country's crops, causing famine in the countryside.
The people of El Salvador have made much progress and are
working to overcome many problems.
|
HOME