El Salvador
Americas Β· Capital: San Salvador
How it is run: El Salvador is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
El Salvador is home to 6.4 million people in Central America, where people speak Spanish.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
6.4 million people
That is about 786 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
21,041 kmΒ²
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
ποΈ How crowded
About 303 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
19th most people in Americas
27th largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
Spanish
π° Money
United States dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
72.3 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$5,767
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
π’ Living in cities
75.5% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
24.4% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+503
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.sv
π§ People here are called
Salvadoran
π·οΈ Name at home
El Salvador
Also written: Republic of El Salvador, RepΓΊblica de El Salvador.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Latin American and Caribbean Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
El Salvador touches 2 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
El Salvador
French
Salvador
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΨ³ΩΩΨ§Ψ―ΩΨ±
Chinese
θ¨ε°η¦ε€
Japanese
γ¨γ«γ΅γ«γγγ«
Russian
Π‘Π°Π»ΡΠ²Π°Π΄ΠΎΡ
Portuguese
El Salvador
German
El Salvador
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 53.7Γ as many people as El Salvador.
- El Salvador covers roughly 200 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in El Salvador lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 3,183 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: πΈπ» is the flag of El Salvador. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is SV.
π·οΈ Official name
Republic of El Salvador
ποΈ Capital
San Salvador
π Region
Americas Β· Central America
π€ Country code
SV
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about El Salvador π
π§ Where on the map
13.8Β° N, 88.9Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-6 β when it is noon in London it is about 06:00 in San Salvador.
- El Salvador is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- El Salvador is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- πΈπ» is the flag of El Salvador. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is SV.
- The capital of El Salvador is San Salvador β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- El Salvador shares its part of the world with Honduras. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- El Salvador has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- El Salvador can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If El Salvador spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of El Salvador?
San Salvador
Which money do people spend in El Salvador?
United States dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with El Salvador?
2 β Guatemala, Honduras.
Roughly how many people live in El Salvador?
6.4 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.