El Salvador 🇸🇻
El Salvador is a country in North America with a population of 6,336,392. Its capital is San Salvador. The official currency is USD, and the main languages are Spanish.
Quick facts
- Capital: San Salvador
- Continent: North America
- Population: 6,336,392
- Area: 21,041 km²
- Density: 301 people per km²
- Currency: USD
- Languages: Spanish
- ISO code: SV
Where El Salvador sits
El Salvador 🇸🇻 is one of 23 countries in North America, with its capital at San Salvador. It covers 21,041 square kilometres — 149th in the world — and is home to about 6,336,392 people, 111th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include United States, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Haiti. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How El Salvador compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, El Salvador sits closest to Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Israel and Slovenia.
At 301 people per square kilometre it is about 5.1 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Spanish is an official language in 20 countries here, among them Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, and 15 others. The USD is shared with 6 other countries, including Ecuador, Marshall Islands and Micronesia, and 3 others.
To see El Salvador next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember El Salvador
San Salvador, 'Holy Saviour', is the country's name with 'San' in front: El Salvador, capital San Salvador. The city is in the highlands, surrounded by volcanoes. For the flag, think of the land (white) between two oceans (blue).
The flag of El Salvador: cobalt blue and white
🇸🇻 The flag is three horizontal stripes of blue, white and blue, with the national coat of arms in the centre of the white stripe. The blue stripes stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and the white for the land between them, and for peace and prosperity. The design comes from the old blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.
Region and neighbours
El Salvador is a small country in Central America, on the Pacific coast, between Guatemala and Honduras. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Guatemala and Honduras.
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
- Honduras 🇭🇳 — capital Tegucigalpa
Three facts about El Salvador
- El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in continental America, and is nicknamed 'Pulgarcito de America', the 'Tom Thumb of the Americas'.
- The United States dollar has been El Salvador's currency since 2001.
- The pupusa, a thick handmade tortilla with a filling, is one of the country's best-known dishes.
Sources: Wikipedia: El Salvador, Wikipedia: Flag of El Salvador, Wikipedia: San Salvador, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on El Salvador
- North American capitals quiz — match El Salvador to San Salvador
- North American flags quiz — spot the El Salvador flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include El Salvador
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For El Salvador those are:
- North America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- North America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- North America capitals quiz — match it to San Salvador
- El Salvador capital quiz — five quick questions starting with El Salvador
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about El Salvador
- Capital of El Salvador: San Salvador — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 23 countries of North America
Nearby countries
- Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 — capital Saint John's
- Bahamas 🇧🇸 — capital Nassau
- Barbados 🇧🇧 — capital Bridgetown
- Belize 🇧🇿 — capital Belmopan
- Canada 🇨🇦 — capital Ottawa
- Costa Rica 🇨🇷 — capital San José
- Cuba 🇨🇺 — capital Havana
- Dominica 🇩🇲 — capital Roseau
- Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 — capital Santo Domingo
- Grenada 🇬🇩 — capital Saint George's
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
- Haiti 🇭🇹 — capital Port-au-Prince
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the El Salvador flag?
The flag of El Salvador is three horizontal stripes of blue, white and blue, with the national coat of arms in the centre of the white stripe. The blue stripes stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and the white for the land between them, and for peace and prosperity. The design comes from the old blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.
Which countries border El Salvador?
El Salvador shares land borders with Guatemala and Honduras.
How can I remember the capital of El Salvador?
San Salvador, 'Holy Saviour', is the country's name with 'San' in front: El Salvador, capital San Salvador. The city is in the highlands, surrounded by volcanoes. For the flag, think of the land (white) between two oceans (blue).