Central America Borders the

North Pacific Ocean

Between Guatemala and Honduras

13° 41" North, 89° 12" West

Begins last days of January or first day of February

Ends sometime between October or November Usual day – 7 AM to 12:30 PM (some exceptions) Elementary, middle school, and high school all

in same building $50 per year to attend – not including uniform,

supplies, and transportation Some expensive private schools, mainly located

in San Salvador teach English, German, or French starting in kindergarten

The private schools have same schedule as US schools

All Salvadorians seniors - P.A.E.S (Prueba de Aptitudes para Egresados de Educacion Media)

- test covers everything a student has studied

- four hour test-can be compared to SAT

One of the most seismologically active regions on earth

situated atop three of the large tectonic plates that constitute the Earth's surface

The northern range – the Sierra Madre form continuous chain along the border with Honduras

The southern range - discontinuous chain of more than twenty volcanoes, clustered into five groups

has over 300 rivers, the most important of which is the Rio Lempa

Tropical rainy season - May to

October dry season -

November to April 72 – 75 degrees

throughout entire year

-(usually exceeds this average)

Traditional cuisine: Mayan, Lenca, Pipil people Many dishes include maize (corn) Most notable dishes: pupusa, chicharron,

refried beans, and loroco Vegetarian options: ayote or garlic Usual breakfast: mashed beans, sour cream,

eggs, Salvadorian tortillas, cheese, fried plantains, rice and coffee

Soups are popular: Sopa de Pata, Gallo en Chicha

Before Spanish Conquest: Mayans, Pipils, and Lencas existed in area

District brought under control of Captaincy General of Guatemala -named El Salvador (“The Savior”)

Briefly a part of the Mexican Empire of Augustín de Iturbide, and after the empire collapsed El Salvador joined the Central American Federation

The primary cultivation of coffee began in the second half of the 19th century

1969; El Salvador invaded Honduras after Honduran landowners deported thousands of Salvadorians (“football war” – broke out during a soccer game)

El Salvador also experienced a 12-year Civil War

National Conciliation Party vs. Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front

Alfredo Cristiani of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) was elected

On Jan. 16, 1992, the government signed a peace treaty with the guerrilla forces, formally ending the war

12-year civil war had killed 75,000

1 Salvadoran colon = 0.114286 U.S. dollars

January 2001 - El Salvador gave up control of its monetary policy

Critics argue that the export sector could be hurt by the move It abandoned the fixed

exchange rate and “dollarized” the economy

US currency can be used in El Salvador as legal currency

Democratic republic 84-member

unicameral Legislative Assembly

President elected by universal suffrage- serves five year term

Independent Judiciary and Supreme Court

Current President: Francisco Flores Perez

Most families live in poverty due to political unrest and wartime violence

Most families cannot afford healthcare

Extended families tend to live together under one roof

Oldest man in household controls all decisions and finances

Young men expected to leave home early to join army or guerilla group

Common law marriages(w/o license or church ceremony) produce 70 percent of the children who are considered illegitimate

Many children are abandoned causing crowding orphanages

Recently, more young woman are attending schools and looking for jobs outside their homes

Hydropower

Geothermal Power

Petroleum

Arable Land

Los Chorros – large, natural pools continue from one to another, with natural water from volcanic cliffs

Balboa Park - 70 acres of flora, myriad birds, sloth and rabbits; A skating rink, soccer field, miles of meandering trails, pre-Colombian style sculptures; cafes and picnics

The Devil’s Doorway - Two huge rocks on the edge of a deep precipice shows the view of the valley lying below

glogsterCulture of El Salvador. Julia Dickson Gomez, 1988. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

<http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/El-Salvador.html>.

El Salvador. HighBeam Research, 2005. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107489.html>.

Introducing El Salvador. Lonely Planet, 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/el-salvador>.

 

Sanders, Reinfield. El Salvador. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. Print. Places and Peoples of the World.

Foley, Erin, and Rafiz Hapipi. El Salvador. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2005. Print.