El Salvador Natural Environment

El Salvador is on the isthmus of Central America, with Honduras in the north and east, Guatemala to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west.  It has an area of 21,040 sq km, and is the smallest Central American country.

The country has three geographical regions: the central high plateau at an altitude of over 600 m above sea level running between two mountain ranges; the Lempa River Valley and surrounding lowlands in the north up to the mountain range at the border with Honduras; and the Pacific coastal region which is 24 km at its widest and 260 km long.

The country has a number of active volcanoes (Santa Ana, Santa Vicente and San Salvador, among others, all around 2,000 m above sea level) surrounding the central high plateau, which is always at risk of periodic volcanic activities and earthquakes.   The plateau has fertile volcanic soil and is the agricultural heartland and population centre of the country. 

The country has several lakes and rivers.  The Lempa River in the northern region originates from the mountains of Guatemala, eventually flowing into the Pacific. 

El Salvador's capital city, San Salvador, is located in the west central part of the country.

El Salvador has a tropical climate, generally with lots of rain and high temperatures in the coastal areas for part of the year.  In high altitudes, the weather is subtropical, with cooler temperature and less rainfall.  The rainy season starts from May for half a year during which there is often torrential rain.  The rest of the year is the dryer season but rain showers still occur periodically.  In the tropical region along the coast, the average precipitation is 182 cm a year, an annual average high of 32°C and an average low of 18°C.