| Geography | El Salvador |
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Location:
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Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
Geographic coordinates:
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13 50 N, 88 55 W |
Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
Area:
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total: 21,041 sq km
land: 20,721 sq km
water: 320 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
Land boundaries:
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total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
Coastline:
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307 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate:
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tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
Terrain:
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mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
Natural resources:
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hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
Land use:
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arable land: 31.37%
permanent crops: 11.88%
other: 56.75% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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450 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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25.2 cu km (2001) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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4,151 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%)
per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
volcanism: El Salvador experiences significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (elev. 1,893 m), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (elev. 2,130 m), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana |
Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
Environment - international agreements:
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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:
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smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea |
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