Geography of El Salvador
Location: | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
Geographic coordinates: | 13 50 N, 88 55 W |
Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean |
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: 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: 31.37% permanent crops: 11.88% other: 56.75% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 450 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes 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 |