El Salvador's Geography | El Salvador Geography

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: 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: 31.85% permanent crops: 12.07% other: 56.08% (2001)

Irrigated land: 360 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: Known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very 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

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