Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic Coordinates:
1350N,8855W
Area:
Total: 21,041 sq km
Country comparison to the world: 153
Land: 20,721 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: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 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: 31.61%
Permanent crops: 10.93%
Other: 57.46% (2011)
Irrigated Land:
449.9 sq km (2003)
Total Renewable Water Resources:
25.23 cu km (2011)
Freshwater Withdrawal (Domestic/ Industrial/ Agricultural):
Total: 1.84 cu km/yr (22%/14%/64%)
Per capita: 301.9 cu m/yr (2007)
Natural Hazards:
Known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes.
Volcanism: 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:
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