Salvadorans (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

, a country in

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvadoran

diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...

, particularly in the United States, with smaller communities in other countries around the world. El Salvador's population was 6,218,000 in 2010, compared to 2,200,000 in 1950. In 2010, the percentage of the population below the age of 15 was 32.1%, 61% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.9% were 65 years or older.

Demonym

Although not the academic standard, ''Salvadorian'' and ''Salvadorean'' are widely-used English demonyms used by those living in the United States and other English-speaking countries. All three versions of the word can be seen in most Salvadoran business signs in the United States and elsewhere in the world. ''Centroamericano/a'' in Spanish and in English ''Central American'' is an alternative standard and widespread cultural identity term that Salvadorans use to identify themselves, along with their regional isthmian neighbors. It is a secondary demonym and it is widely used as an interchangeable term for El Salvador and Salvadorans. The demonym Central American is an allusion to the strong union that the Central America region has had since its independence. The term Central America is not only a regional cultural identity, but also a political identity, since the region has been united on various occasions as a single country such as the ''United Provinces of Central America'',

Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...

, ''National Representation of Central America'', and

Greater Republic of Central America The Greater Republic of Central America (Spanish: ''República Mayor de Centroamérica''), later the United States of Central America (Spanish: ''Estados Unidos de Centroamérica''), originally planned to be known as the Republic of Central Ame ...

. The same can be said for El Salvador's neighbors, specifically the original five states of

National Symbols

History

Lithic era

File:Pinturas Rupestres Corinto Morazan 06.JPG, Humanoid petroglyph in

Holy Spirit Grotto The Holy Spirit Grotto (''La Gruta del Espíritu Santo'' in Spanish), also known as Corinto Cave, in Corinto, Morazán, El Salvador, is a registered national monument of petroglyphs. The cave is largely associated with the Xibalba legend. The ...

(corinto cave), Morazan, El Salvador. File:Pinturas Rupestres Corinto Morazan.JPG, Petroglyphs in

(corinto cave), Morazan, El Salvador. El Salvador was inhabited by Paleo-Indians, the

first peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

who subsequently inhabited, the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

during the glacial episodes of the late Pleistocene period. Their paintings (the earliest of which date from 8000 BC) can still be seen in caves outside the towns of Corinto and

Cacaopera Cacaopera is a municipality in the Morazán department of El Salvador. According to UNESCO: The community of Cacaopera is the sole surviving representative of an otherwise vanished ethnic group, variously referred to as Ulua, Matagalpa, or C ...

, both in Morazán. Originating in the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

period, these cave paintings exhibit the earliest traces of human life in El Salvador; these early Native Americans people used the cave as a refuge, Paleoindian artists created cave and rock paintings that are located in present-day El Salvador. The

Lencas The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they un ...

later occupied the caves and utilized them as spiritual spaces. Other ancient petroglyphs are located in San Jose Villanueva, La Libertad and San Isidro, Cabañas. The rock petroglyphs in San Jose Villanueva near a cave in Walter Thilo Deininger National Park are similar to other ancient rock petroglyph around the country. Regarding the style of the engravings, it has been compared with the petroglyphs of La Peña Herrada ( Cuscatlán), el Letrero del Diablo (La Libertad) and la Peña de los Fierros (

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...

). Other cave locations include the cave of Los Fierros and La Cuevona, both in Cuscatlán.

Archaic Period

Native Americans appeared in the

Pleistocene era The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...

and became the dominant people in the

Lithic stage In the sequence of cultural stages first proposed for the archaeology of the Americas by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips in 1958, the Lithic stage was the earliest period of human occupation in the Americas, as post-glacial hunter gatherers s ...

, developing in the

Archaic period in North America In the classification of the archaeological cultures of North America, the Archaic period in North America, taken to last from around 8000 to 1000 BC in the sequence of North American pre-Columbian cultural stages, is a period defined by the ''a ...

to the

Formative stage Several chronologies in the archaeology of the Americas include a Formative Period or Formative stage etc. It is often sub-divided, for example into "Early", "Middle" and "Late" stages. The Formative is the third of five stages defined by Gord ...

, occupying this phase for thousands of years until European contact at the end of 16th century, spanning from the time of the arrival to the

Upper Paleolithic The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coin ...

era to

European colonization of the Americas During the Age of Discovery, a large scale European colonization of the Americas took place between about 1492 and 1800. Although the Norse had explored and colonized areas of the North Atlantic, colonizing Greenland and creating a short ter ...

during the early modern period.

Mesoamerican-Isthmus cultures

File:Temazcal en Joya de Cerén.jpg,

Joya de Cerén Joya de Cerén (''Jewel of Cerén'' in the Spanish language) is an archaeological site in La Libertad Department, El Salvador, featuring a pre-Columbian Maya farming village. The ancient Maya site of Joya de Cerén is located in the Zapotitán V ...

File:Tazumal 10.jpg,

Tazumal Tazumal () is a pre-Columbian archeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. Tazumal is an architectural complex within the larger area of the ancient Mesoamerican city of Chalchuapa, in western El Salvador. The Tazumal group is located in the so ...

File:Casa Blanca 1.JPG, Casa Blanca File:ES SanAndres 06 2011 Panorama Estructura 1 y 2 La Acropolis 2194.jpg, San Andres File:Piramide Cihuatan.jpg,

Cihuatán Cihuatán is a major pre-Columbian archaeological site in central El Salvador.Proyecto Argueológico Cihuatán. Bruhns 1980, p. 6. It was a very large city located in the extreme south of the Mesoamerican cultural area, and has been dated to the E ...

File:Maya cup, Museo de América 9.jpg, Late Classic Maya cup from El Salvador. 600–900 AD. File:ES Joya Ceren Museum 05 2012 1521.JPG, Mayan artifact found at the

archaeological site File:ES Joya Ceren Museum 05 2012 1520.JPG, Mayan artifact found at the

archaeological site File:Maya bowl, Museo de América, Madrid.jpg, Late Classic Maya bowl, El Copador style, El Salvador. File:Postclassic vessel from El Salvador.jpg, Late Postclassic ceramic vessel from El Salvador, with face decoration. 1200–1520 AD. File:Maya vessel, Museo de América 2.jpg, Late Classic Maya vessel from El Salvador, 600–900 AD File:Maya plate, Museo de América 3.jpg, Late Classic Maya plate, El Salvador. File:Maya bowl, Museo de América.jpg, Late Classic Maya bowl from El Salvador. File:ES Tazumal 06 2011 Xipe Totec 2292.jpg,

's Xipe Totec. Indigenous houses in El Salvador

Historically El Salvador has had diverse Native American cultures, coming from the north and south of the continent along with local populations mixed together. El Salvador belongs to both to the

Mesoamerican region The Mesoamerican region (often abbreviated MAR) is a trans-national economic region in the Americas that is recognized by the OECD and other economic and developmental organizations, comprising the united economies of the seven countries in Centr ...

in the western part of the country, and to the

Isthmo-Colombian Area The Isthmo-Colombian Area is defined as a cultural area encompassing those territories occupied predominantly by speakers of the Chibchan languages at the time of European contact. It includes portions of the Central American isthmus like eastern E ...

in the eastern part of the country, where a myriad of indigenous societies have lived side by side for centuries with their unique cultures and speaking different

indigenous languages of the Americas Over a thousand indigenous languages are spoken by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. These languages cannot all be demonstrated to be related to each other and are classified into a hundred or so language families (including a large numbe ...

in the beginning of the

Classic stage In archaeological cultures of North America, the classic stage is the theoretical North and Meso-American societies that existed between AD 500 and 1200. This stage is the fourth of five stages posited by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 ...

. The

Lenca people The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they un ...

are an indigenous people of eastern El Salvador where population today is estimated at about 37,000. The Lenca was a matriarchal society and was one of the

first civilization A cradle of civilization is a location and a culture where civilization was created by mankind independent of other civilizations in other locations. The formation of urban settlements (cities) is the primary characteristic of a society that c ...

s to develop in El Salvador and were the first major civilization in the country. The pre-Conquest

Salvadoran Lenca Salvadoran Lenca was spoken in Chilanga and Potón. Lencans had arrived in El Salvador about 2,000 years B.C.E and founded the site of Quelepa. One speaker remains in Potón. Salvadoran Lenca is of the small language family of Lencan languages ...

had frequent contact with various Maya groups as well as other indigenous peoples of Central America. The origin of Lenca populations has been a source of ongoing debate amongst anthropologists and historians. Throughout the regions of Lenca occupation, Lenca pottery is a very distinguishable form of

Pre-Columbian art Pre-Columbian art refers to the visual arts of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, North, Central, and South Americas from at least 13,000 BCE to the European conquests starting in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Pre-Columbian era c ...

. Handcrafted by Lenca women, Lenca pottery is considered an ethnic marking of their culture. Some scholars have suggested that the Lenca migrated to the Central American region from South America around 3,000 years ago, making it the oldest civilization in El Salvador. Guancasco is the annual ceremony by which Lenca communities, usually two, gather to establish reciprocal obligations in order to confirm peace and friendship.

Quelepa Quelepa is an important archaeological site located in eastern El Salvador. Generally considered to have been settled by the Lenca people, the site was founded around 400 BC in the Late Preclassic period (500 BC - AD 250). The inhabitants const ...

is a major site in eastern El Salvador. Its pottery shows strong similarities to ceramics found in central western El Salvador and the Maya highlands. The Lenca sites of Yarumela, Los Naranjos in Honduras, and Quelepa in El Salvador, all contain evidence of the

Usulután Usulután () is the fifth largest city in El Salvador, and capital of the Usulután Department in the south-east of El Salvador. As of 2006, it is estimated to have population of 71,636 people. Usulután rests in a rich agricultural valley and ...

-style ceramics. The

Cacaopera people The Cacaopera people also known as the Matagalpa or Ulúa., are an indigenous people in what is now El Salvador and Nicaragua. History The Matagalpa are one of the most important cultures in the historical development of the Nicaraguan territory ...

are an indigenous people in El Salvador who are also known as the Matagalpa or Ulua. Cacaopera people spoke the

Cacaopera language Cacaopera is an extinct language belonging to the Misumalpan family, formerly spoken in the department of Morazán in El Salvador by the Cacaopera people. It was closely related to Matagalpa, and slightly more distantly to Sumo, but was geograp ...

, a

Misumalpan language The Misumalpan languages (also Misumalpa or Misuluan) are a small family of languages spoken by indigenous peoples on the east coast of Nicaragua and nearby areas. The name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason and is composed of syllables ...

. Cacaopera is an extinct language belonging to the Misumalpan family, formerly spoken in the department of Morazán in El Salvador. It was closely related to Matagalpa, and slightly more distantly to Sumo, but was geographically separated from other

Misumalpan languages The Misumalpan languages (also Misumalpa or Misuluan) are a small family of languages spoken by indigenous peoples on the east coast of Nicaragua and nearby areas. The name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason and is composed of syllable ...

. The

Xinca people The Xinka, or Xinca, are a non-Mayan indigenous people of Mesoamerica, with communities in the southern portion of Guatemala, near its border with El Salvador, and in the mountainous region to the north. Their languages (the Xincan languages) are ...

, also known as the Xinka, are a non-Mayan indigenous people of Mesoamerica, with communities in the western part of El Salvador near its border. The Xinka may have been among the earliest inhabitants of western El Salvador, predating the arrival of the Maya and the Pipil. The Xinca ethnic group became extinct in the Mestizo process. El Salvador has two

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

groups, the

Poqomam people The Poqomam are a Maya people in Guatemala and El Salvador. Their indigenous language is also called Poqomam and is closely related to Poqomchi'. Notable Poqomam settlements are located in Chinautla (Guatemala (department)), Palín (Escuintla), ...

and the

Ch'orti' people Ch'orti' (or Chorti) may refer to: * Ch'orti' people - one of the indigenous Maya peoples of southeastern Guatemala and western Honduras * Ch’orti’ language - a Mayan language, spoken by the Ch'orti' people {{disambig ...

. The Poqomam are a Maya people in western El Salvador near its border. Their indigenous language is also called Poqomam. The Ch'orti' people (alternatively, Ch'orti' Maya or Chorti) are one of the indigenous Maya peoples, who primarily reside in communities and towns of northern El Salvador. The Maya once dominated the entire western portion of El Salvador, up until the eruption of the

lake ilopango Lake Ilopango is a crater lake which fills an 8 by 11 km (72 km2 or 28 sq mi) volcanic caldera in central El Salvador, on the borders of the San Salvador, La Paz, and Cuscatlán departments. The caldera, which contains the second lar ...

super volcano. Mayan ruins are the most widely conserved in El Salvador and artifacts such as

Maya ceramics Maya ceramics are ceramics produced in the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. The vessels used different colors, sizes, and had varied purposes. Vessels for the elite could be painted with very detailed scenes, while utilitarian vessels we ...

Mesoamerican writing systems Mesoamerica, along with Mesopotamia and China, is one of three known places in the world where writing is thought to have developed independently. Mesoamerican scripts deciphered to date are a combination of logographic and syllabic systems. Th ...

Mesoamerican calendars Mesoamerican calendars are the calendrical systems devised and used by the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. Besides keeping time, Mesoamerican calendars were also used in religious observances and social rituals, such as for divination. T ...

and

Mesoamerican ballgame The Mesoamerican ballgame ( nah, ōllamalīztli, , myn, pitz) was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Mesoamerica, Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different pl ...

can be found in all Maya ruins in El Salvador which include

San Andrés, El Salvador San Andrés (formerly known as Campana San Andrés) is a pre-Columbian site in El Salvador,Kelly 1996, p.300. whose occupation began around the year 900 BC as an agricultural town in the valley of Zapotitán in the department of La Libertad. ...

Casa Blanca, El Salvador Casa Blanca is a pre-Columbian Maya archeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. The site possesses several pyramids dating to the Late Preclassic period (500 BC – AD 250) and the Classic period (AD 250–900). This ruin is part of th ...

, Cihuatan, and

Alaguilac people Alaguilac were an indigenous Nahua The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica ...

were a former indigenous group located on northern El Salvador. Their language is unclassified. The

Alagüilac language Alagüilac is an unclassified languages, undocumented Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous American language that is thought to have been spoken by the Alaguilac people, Alaguilac people of Guatemala at the time of the Spanish conquest. ...

is an undocumented indigenous American language that is now extinct. The Alaguilac ethnic group became extinct during the Mestizo process. The

Mixe people The Mixe (Spanish ' or rarely ' ) are an indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the eastern highlands of the state of Oaxaca. They speak the Mixe languages, which are classified in the Mixe–Zoque family, and are more culturally conservative tha ...

is an indigenous group that inhabited the western borders of El Salvador. They spoke the

Mixe languages The Mixe languages are languages of the Mixean branch of the Mixe–Zoquean language family indigenous to southern Mexico. According to a 1995 classification, there are seven of them (including one that is extinct). The four that are spoken in ...

which are classified in the Mixe–Zoque family, The

are languages of the Mixean branch of the Mixe–Zoquean language family. The Mixe ethnic group became extinct during the Mestizo process. The Mangue people, also known as Chorotega, spoke the

Mangue language Mangue, also known as Chorotega,Daniel G. Brinton. 1886. Notes on the Mangue; An Extinct Dialect Formerly Spoken in Nicaragua Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society , Vol. 23, No. 122 (Apr., 1886), pp. 238-257 is an extinct Oto-Mangue ...

, a now-extinct

Oto-Manguean language The Oto-Manguean or Otomanguean languages are a large family comprising several subfamilies of indigenous languages of the Americas. All of the Oto-Manguean languages that are now spoken are indigenous to Mexico, but the Manguean branch of the ...

. They occupied land near the eastern El Salvador border, near the gulf. The

Pipil people The Nahua people, also academically referred to as ''Pipil'', are an indigenous group of Mesoamerican people inhabiting the western and central areas of present-day El Salvador. Although very few speakers are now left, they speak the Nawat langua ...

are an indigenous people who live in western El Salvador. Their language is called Nahuat or Pipil, related to the Toltec people of the

Nahua peoples The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...

and were speakers of early Nahuatl languages. However, in general, their mythology is more closely related to the

Maya mythology Maya or Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Maya tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles. The myths of the era have to be reconstructed ...

, who are their near neighbors and by oral tradition said to have been adopted by Ch'orti' and Poqomam Mayan people during the Pipil exodus in the 9th century CE. The culture lasted until the Spanish conquest, at which time they still maintained their Nawat language, despite being surrounded by the Maya in western El Salvador. By the time the Spanish arrived, Pipil and Poqomam Maya settlements were interspersed throughout western El Salvador. The Pipil are known as the last indigenous civilization to arrive in El Salvador, being the least oldest and were a determined people who stoutly resisted Spanish efforts to extend their dominion southward. The Pipil are direct descendants of the Toltecs, but not of the Aztecs. Evidence of

Olmec The Olmecs () were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. It has been speculated that t ...

civilization presence in western El Salvador can be found in the ruin sites of

Chalchuapa Chalchuapa is a town and a municipality located in the Santa Ana department of El Salvador. The city of Chalchuapa is in a wide valley at 650 meters above sea level, and watered by the Pampe River. Overview It is situated 15 kilometers west ...

in the Ahuachapan department. Olmec petroglyphs can be found on boulders in Chalchuapa portraying Omlec warriors with helmets identical to those found on the

Olmec colossal heads The Olmec colossal heads are stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. They range in height from . The heads date from at least 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmecs, Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoam ...

. This suggest that the area was once an Olmec enclave, before fading away for unknown reasons. The Olmecs are believed to have lived in present-day El Salvador as early as 2000 BC. The 'Olmec Boulder, ' is a sculpture of a giant head found near

site in Las Victorias near Chalchuapa. "Olmecoid" figurines such as the

Potbelly sculpture Potbelly sculptures (Spanish barrigones pl. or barrigón sing.) are in-the-round sculptures of obese human figures carved from boulders. They are a distinctive element of the sculptural tradition in the southern Maya area of Mesoamerica. The prec ...

have been found through this area, in fact most are described as looking primeval proto-Olmec.

Spanish conquest (1522)

By 1521, the indigenous population of the Mesoamerican area had been drastically reduced by the

smallpox epidemic Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) cer ...

that was spreading throughout the territory, although it had not yet reached pandemic levels in Cuzcatlán or the northern portion Managuara. The first known visit by Spaniards to what is now Salvadoran territory was made by the admiral

Andrés Niño Andrés Niño (born in Moguer in 1475; died about 1530) was a Spanish navigator. Biography From early youth he navigated vessels for the Portuguese government to the coast of Africa and the East Indies, and he went in 1515 to Panama, where he ac ...

, who led an expedition to Central America. He disembarked in the

Gulf of Fonseca The Gulf of Fonseca ( es, Golfo de Fonseca; ), a part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. History Fonseca Bay was discovered for Europeans in 1522 by Gil González de Ávila, ...

on 31 May 1522, at Meanguera island, naming it Petronila, and then traversed to

Jiquilisco Bay The Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve is located on the southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador, in the department of Usulután Usulután () is the fifth largest city in El Salvador, and capital of the Usulután Department in the south-east of ...

on the mouth of

Lempa River The Lempa River ( es, Río Lempa) is a river in Central America. Geography Its sources are located in between the Sierra Madre and the Sierra del Merendón in southern Guatemala, near the town of Olopa. In Guatemala the river is called ''Río O ...

. The first indigenous people to have contact with the Spanish were the Lenca of eastern El Salvador.

Growth of the population

File:DensidaddePoblacionenCentroamerica.jpg, Population density in

File:PoblacionSalvadoreñoenlosEstadosUnidos.png, Salvadoran population in the United States File:Lanzamiento_de_las_Fuerzas_Especailizadas_de_Reacción_El_Salvador,_FES._(25942889043).jpg, Salvadoran troops File:Seleccion salvadoreña de beisbol.jpg, Salvadoran baseball players File:Casa Abierta-Familia Campesinas dueños de tierras. (25191777792).jpg, Young Salvadoran man playing a guitar File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Vicente (24811592789).jpg, Salvadoran women San Vicente, El Salvador File:Mesa Grande refugee camp 1987 116.jpg, Salvadoran refugee children during the civil war, 1987 File:A U.S. Soldier, left, assigned to Joint Task Force Jaguar gives a dental screening to a boy during Beyond the Horizon (BTH) 2013 in Metalio, El Salvador, May 18, 2013 130518-A-IA672-087.jpg, Salvadoran boy File:5o. Feria del Jocote-San Lorenzo, Ahuachapán. (25771696524).jpg, Young Salvadoran women in Ahuachapan File:Potada.JPG, Salvadoran model

Irma Dimas Irma Dimas (born Irma Marina Dimas Pineda; 9 August 1986, in San Salvador, El Salvador), is a Salvadoran former model who was crowned Miss El Salvador on 27 February 2005. She made headlines recently for her foray into the politics of El Salvad ...

from

Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and municipality of El Salvador. It is the capital of the department of Sonsonate; on the Sensunapan River and the Pan-American Highway from San Salvador to the Pacific port of Acajutla, south. Pop. (2007), about 71,541. E ...

File:PuertoLaLibertadSV.jpg, Salvadoran boy in

La Libertad, La Libertad La Libertad (English: ''Liberty'') is a municipality in the La Libertad Department of El Salvador. It had a population of 35,997 inhabitants in 2007 according to the official census of that year. It is one of the main tourist attractions in the ...

File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25439135320).jpg, Salvadoran boy in

San Pedro Perulapán San Pedro Perulapán is a municipality in the Cuscatlán department of El Salvador. San Pedro Perulapán is a town whose origins are pre-Columbian; it received the title of city on April 28, 1921. The Battle of San Pedro Perulapán occurred h ...

File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25740938735).jpg, Salvadoran boys in

File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25440266500).jpg, Salvadoran boys coloring,

has the largest population density in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

, and is the third most populated country in

after

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

and

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

, from the 2005 census, the population exceeds 6 million. The total impact of civil wars, dictatorships and socioeconomics drove over a million Salvadorans (both as immigrants and refugees) into the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

;

is the second country that hosts more Salvadorans behind the

, approximately 110,000 Salvadorans according to the national census of 2010. in addition small Salvadoran communities sprung up in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

since the migration trend began in the early 1970s.

Salvadoran Diaspora in the United States

The 2010 U.S. Census counted 1,648,968 Salvadorans in the United States, up from 655,165 in 2000. By 2017, the figure had risen to over 2.3 million. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 American Community Survey, the top

Metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

s for the Salvadoran community are: Salvadoran-American diaspora over time:

Ethnic groups

White and Mestizo Salvadorans

As is the case elsewhere in

, there is no clear distinction between White and Mestizo Salvadorans, the large majority of the population have varying proportions of

and Native American ancestry. In addition, many Salvadorans have more recent ancestry from French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

descent. A majority of

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

an settlers in El Salvador arrived during World War II as refugees from the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. In northern departments like the

Chalatenango Department Chalatenango () is a department of El Salvador, located in the northwest of the country. The capital is the city of Chalatenango. The Chalatenango Department encompasses 2,017 km² and contains more than 204,000 inhabitants. ''Las Matras A ...

, it is well known that residents in the area are of pure Spanish descent. The governor of San Salvador,

Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet y Bosoist, 5th Baron of Carondelet, (born 1748, Noyelles-sur-Selle, County of Flanders, Flanders – died 1807 Quito, Ecuador) was a Spanish administrator of partial Burgundy, Burgundian descent in the employ ...

, ordered families from northern Spain ( Galicia and

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...

) to settle the area to compensate for the lack of indigenous people to work the land; it is not uncommon to see people with blond hair, fair skin, and blue or green eyes in municipalities like

Dulce Nombre de María Dulce Nombre de María is a town and municipality in the Chalatenango Department Chalatenango () is a department of El Salvador, located in the northwest of the country. The capital is the city of Chalatenango. The Chalatenango Department en ...

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...

, and El Pital. However, the majority of Salvadorans of full Spanish descent possess Mediterranean racial features: olive skin and dark hair and eyes (black or dark brown) and identify with the

mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...

majority, As for the mestizo / castizo population, it dates back to the time of the discovery of America, Because there were no Spanish women, the Spaniards maintained relationships with Amerindian women, before the discovery, El Salvador was the second Central American country with the least indigenous population, and due to the hostility of the Spanish and added to the diseases brought by them, the population was greatly reduced and precipitously, the Amerindian men were more affected than the Amerindian women, in the first years of the colony, 50% of the population Salvadoran was Mestizo and White, in 1805, 78% of the inhabitants of El Salvador were Mestizo and White. Later, in the post-colonial era, the country received several groups of European immigrants, mainly from Spain and Italy, mainly between 1880 and 1930, when several Europeans emigrated to the country, immigration had a great demographic impact, the population of El Salvador went from 480 thousand to 1.2 million inhabitants

Arab Salvadorans

There is a significant with at least partial Arab descent (of about 100,000); mostly from

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

(especially from the area of

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

), but also from Lebanon. Salvadorans of Palestinian descent numbered around 70,000 individuals, while Salvadorans of Lebanese descent is around 25,000. There is also a small community of

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

who came to El Salvador from France, Germany,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Arab immigration in El Salvador began at the end of the 19th century in the wake of the repressive policies applied by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

against

Maronite Catholics The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic ''sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Th ...

. Several of the destinations that the Lebanese chose at that time were in countries of the Americas, including El Salvador. This resulted in the Arab diaspora residents being characterized by forging in devoutly Christian families and very attached to their beliefs, because in these countries they can exercise their faith without fear of persecution, which resulted in the rise of Lebanese-Salvadoran, Syrian-Salvadoran and Palestinian-Salvadoran communities in El Salvador. Currently, the

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

community forms the largest Arab diaspora population in El Salvador, with 70,000 direct descendants, followed by the Lebanese community with more than 27,000 direct descendants. Both are almost entirely composed of

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

Orthodox Christians Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...

. Inter-ethnic marriage in the Lebanese community with Salvadorans, regardless of religious affiliation, is very high; most have only one father with Lebanese nationality and mother of Salvadoran nationality. As a result, some of them speak Arabic fluently. But most, especially among younger generations, speak Spanish as a first language and Arabic as a second. Arab-Salvadoreans and their descendants have traditionally played an outsized role in El Salvador's economic and political life, with many becoming business leaders and noteworthy political figures.

Indigenous Salvadorans

NATIVE AMERICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF EL SALVADOR IN CENTRAL AMERICA ISTHMUS

According to the Salvadoran Government, about 1% of the population are of full or predominant indigenous origin. The largest most dominant Native Salvadoran groups in El Salvador are the

and

followed by small enclaves of

Maya peoples The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people ...

: (

/ Chorti people),

people, as well as an

past. (

Pipil Pipil may refer to: *Nahua people of western El Salvador *Pipil language Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nicarao) is a Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan family. It was spo ...

, located in the west and central part of the country, and

Lenca The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they under ...

, found east of the

). There are small populations of

in the

Morazán Department Morazán () is a department of El Salvador. Located in the northeast part of the country, its capital is San Francisco Gotera. It covers a total surface area of 1,447 km² and has a population of more than 199,500. History Gotera was ma ...

and a few

live in the department of

Ahuachapán Ahuachapán () is a city, and municipality, and the capital of the Ahuachapán Department in western El Salvador. The municipality, including the city, covers an area of 244.84 km² and as of 2007 has a population of 110,511 people. Situat ...

, near the border of

. The official number of indigenous people in El Salvador has been criticized by indigenous organizations and academics as too small and many accuse the government of denying the existence of indigenous Salvadorans in the country. According to the National Salvadoran Indigenous Coordination Council (CCNIS) and CONCULTURA (National Council for Art and Culture at the Ministry of Education), approximately 70,000 or 1 per cent of Salvadorian peoples are indigenous. Nonetheless, very few Amerindians have retained their customs and traditions, having over time assimilated into the dominant Mestizo/Spanish culture. The low numbers of indigenous people may be partly explained by historically high rates of old-world diseases, absorption into the mestizo population, as well as mass murder during the 1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising (or ''La Matanza''). This massacre saw (estimates of) up to 30,000

peasants A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...

killed in a short period of time. Many authors note that since ''La Matanza'' the indigenous in El Salvador have been very reluctant to describe themselves as such (in census declarations for example) or to wear indigenous dress or be seen to be taking part in any cultural activities or customs that might be understood as indigenous. Departments and cities in the country with notable indigenous populations include

(especially

Izalco Izalco (in Nawat: ''Itzalku'') is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. Volcan Izalco is an icon of the country of El Salvador, a very young Volcano on the flank of Santa Ana volcano. From when it was born in 1770 until 1 ...

, Nahuizalco, and

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, and

Panchimalco Panchimal is a town in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. Panchimalco ("The Place of Flags and Shields," from the Nahuatl, "Pantli," meaning banner or flag; "Chimalli," meaning shield or herald, and "co," place) Its 35,000 inhabitants, s ...

, in the department of

Other

In the 2007 census, 0.7% of the population was considered as "other". There are up to 100,000

Nicaraguan Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

s living in El Salvador.

Language

File:Palenque glyphs-edit1.jpg, El Salvador was home to Mayan Script Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants.

(official),

Salvadoran Sign Language Salvadoran Sign language is a language used by the deaf community in El Salvador. Its main purpose is to communicate. There are three distinct forms of sign language. American Sign Language was brought over to El Salvador from the United States ...

, Pipil (Nawat) , Kekchí. Immigrant languages include

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

, Poqomam, and

American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual lang ...

Literacy

: ''definition:'' age 10 and over can read and write : ''total:'' 95.0% : ''male:'' 94.4% : ''female:'' 95.5% : ''urban:'' 97.2% : ''rural:'' 91.8%

Religion

File:Iglesia El Rosario, frente a Plaza Libertad.jpg, Iglesia El Rosario,

File:Postal de la Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador.jpg,

San Salvador Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador) is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador in San Salvador, El Salvador. History The Cathedral site is the place where the old ...

File:CATEDRAL DE SAN MIGUEL, EL SALVADOR - panoramio.jpg,

Cathedral Basilica of Queen of Peace, San Miguel The Cathedral Basilica of Queen of Peace ( es, Catedral-Basílica Reina de la Paz), also called San Miguel Cathedral, is a Catholic church located in the city of San Miguel, El Salvador. In 1740 the mayor of San Salvador, Manuel Gálvez del Co ...

File:Iglesia Don Rua.JPG, Iglesia Don Rua,

File:Fachada principal de la Iglesia El Calvario.JPG, Iglesia El Calvario,

File:El Carmen SantaTecla.jpg,

Iglesia El Carmen The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Spanish for Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) is a catholic parish church in the city of Santa Tecla, La Libertad Department, El Salvador. It was completed in 1914 in a neo-gothic style. History The ...

File:Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.jpg, Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús,

File:Santa Ana Catedral Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana 2.jpg,

Cathedral of Santa Ana (El Salvador) The Cathedral of Our Lady Saint Anne ( es, Catedral de la Señora Santa Ana), is a neo-Gothic cathedral located in Santa Ana, El Salvador. History The place where today is the Cathedral of Santa Ana was the central parish, which was built betwee ...

There is diversity of religious beliefs in El Salvador. The majority of the population is

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

(47%) and

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

(33%) are the two major denominations in the country. Those not affiliated with any religious group amount to 17% of the population. The remainder of the population (3%) is made up of

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

Hare Krishnas The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. ISKCON was founded in 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktive ...

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

, and those adhering to indigenous religious beliefs.

Culture

File:Palmaarte.jpg, La Palma-type art, from

La Palma, Chalatenango La Palma is a municipality in the Chalatenango department of El Salvador. The municipality, located in a mountainous area of the country, covers an area of 135.60 km2 and as of 2006 had an approximate population of 24,000. It has historical ...

File:Artesanias de Ilobasco Tucan.JPG, Arts and craft from

Ilobasco Ilobasco is a municipality in the Cabañas department of El Salvador. It is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of the capital, San Salvador. This town is known country wide (and internationally) for its clay (other materials also used) ...

File:Mercaditode Artesanias en el Centro Historico de Santa Ana.JPG, La Palma-type art form from

Santa Ana, El Salvador Santa Ana () is the second largest city in El Salvador, after the capital of San Salvador. It is located 64 kilometers northwest of San Salvador, the capital city. Santa Ana has approximately 374,830 (2017)) inhabitants and serves both as the c ...

File:Tienda de artesanías en el Centro Historico de juayua.JPG, Mesoamerican souvenirs from Juayua File:REUNIÓN REGIONAL CENTROAMERICANA DE LA CELAC (17147017311).jpg, La Palma-Style art on modern Salvadoran building in San Salvador File:Handcrafted Bag Ataco.jpg, Handcraft bag from Ataco File:Artesanias de La Palma Chalatenango.jpg, Hand crafted bookmarks from La Palma File:Calles de La Palma 3.JPG, Salvadoran staple art in La Palma File:Peaberry coffee beans, close up.jpg,

Coffee production in El Salvador Coffee production in El Salvador has fueled the Salvadoran economy and shaped its history for more than a century. Rapidly growing in the 19th century, coffee in El Salvador has traditionally provided more than 50% of the country's export revenue ...

File:SVhammocks.jpg, Salvadpran hammocks from

File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Miguel (24759914192).jpg, Salvadoran children dressed for Calabuiza on day of the dead File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Miguel (24858111335).jpg, Young Salvadoran girls in

San Miguel, El Salvador San Miguel () is a city in eastern El Salvador. It is the country's third most populous city. It is located 138 km east of the capital, San Salvador. It is also the capital of the department of San Miguel and a municipality. The population ...

File:Festival de bolas Fuego, Nejapa - El Salvador.JPG, Fire ball festival in

Nejapa Nejapa is a municipality in the San Salvador department of El Salvador. Traditions Las Bolas De Fuego One of the major traditions of Nejapa is ''Las Bolas De Fuego'' ("Balls of Fire"), celebrated August 31st. The celebration has two origins, ...

File:La Esquna de Ataco.jpg, The town of

Concepción de Ataco Concepción de Ataco is a municipality and city within the Ahuachapán Department, El Salvador. It has an area of 61.03 km ² and a population of 18,101 inhabitants (est. 2006). The municipality administration is divided into 11 cantons, wh ...

File:Casas de Suchitoto.jpg, colonial houses of

Suchitoto Suchitoto is a municipality in the Department of Cuscatlán, El Salvador that has seen continuous human habitation long before Spanish colonization. Within its municipal territory, Suchitoto holds the site of the original founding of the Villa ...

File:Cemetery in San Miguel, El Salvador.jpg, Colorful cemetery

The culture of El Salvador is a

n culture nation influenced by the clash of ancient

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

and medieval

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

Salvadoran Salvadorans (Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvado ...

culture is influenced by

Native America The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

n culture (

) as well as

Latin American culture Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the people of Latin America and includes both high culture (literature and high art) and popular culture (music, folk art, and dance), as well as religion and other customary practices. ...

(

Hispanic America The region known as Hispanic America (in Spanish called ''Hispanoamérica'' or ''América Hispana'') and historically as Spanish America (''América Española'') is the portion of the Americas comprising the Spanish-speaking countries of North, ...

Ibero-America Ibero-America ( es, Iberoamérica, pt, Ibero-América) or Iberian America is a region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese are predominant languages (usually form ...

Mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...

culture and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

dominates the country. Although the

Romance language The Romance languages, sometimes referred to as Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages, are the various modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages in the Indo-European languages, I ...

, Castilian

, is the official and dominant language spoken in El Salvador,

Salvadoran Spanish Salvadoran Spanish is geographically defined as the form of Spanish spoken in the country of El Salvador. The Spanish dialect in El Salvador shares many similarities to that of its neighbors in the region, but it has its stark differences in pronun ...

which is part of

Central American Spanish Central American Spanish ( es, español centroamericano or ) is the general name of the Spanish language dialects spoken in Central America. More precisely, the term refers to the Spanish language as spoken in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, ...

has influences of

Native American languages Over a thousand indigenous languages are spoken by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. These languages cannot all be demonstrated to be related to each other and are classified into a hundred or so language families (including a large numbe ...

of El Salvador such as

Lencan languages Lencan is a small family of nearly extinct indigenous Mesoamerican languages. Languages There are two attested Lencan languages, both extinct (Campbell 1997:167). * Salvadoran Lencan was spoken in Chilanga and Potó (thus the alternative lan ...

Mayan languages The Mayan languagesIn linguistics, it is conventional to use ''Mayan'' when referring to the languages, or an aspect of a language. In other academic fields, ''Maya'' is the preferred usage, serving as both a singular and plural noun, and as ...

and

Pipil language Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nicarao) is a Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan family. It was spoken in several parts of present-day Central America before the Spanish c ...

, which are still spoken in some regions of El Salvador

culture dominates the country, heavy in both Native American Indigenous and European Spanish influences. A new composite population was formed as a result of intermarrying between the native

Mesoamerican Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. Withi ...

population of Cuzcatlan with the European settlers. The

plays an important role in the Salvadoran culture. Archbishop Óscar Romero is a national hero for his role in resisting human rights violations that were occurring in the lead-up to the Salvadoran Civil War.Eaton, Helen-May (1991).
The impact of the Archbishop Óscar Romero's alliance with the struggle for liberation of the Salvadoran people: A discussion of church-state relations (El Salvador)
' (M.A. thesis), Wilfrid Laurier University Significant foreign personalities in El Salvador were the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priests and professors

Ignacio Ellacuría Ignacio Ellacuría ( Portugalete, Biscay, Spain, November 9, 1930 – San Salvador, November 16, 1989) was a Spanish-Salvadoran Jesuit, philosopher, and theologian who worked as a professor and rector at the Universidad Centroamericana "Jo ...

Ignacio Martín-Baró Ignacio Martín-Baró (November 7, 1942 in Valladolid, Castilla y Leon, Spain – November 16, 1989 in San Salvador, El Salvador) was a scholar, Social psychology, social psychologist, philosopher and Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest. He was ...

, and

Segundo Montes Segundo Montes (May 15, 1933 in Valladolid, Spain – November 16, 1989 in San Salvador, El Salvador) was a scholar, philosopher, educator, sociologist and Jesuit priest. He was one of the victims of the 1989 murders of Jesuits in El Salvador ...

, who were murdered in 1989 by the Salvadoran Army during the height of the civil war. Painting, ceramics and textiles are the principal manual artistic mediums. Writers Francisco Gavidia (1863–1955),

Salarrué Luis Salvador Efraín Salazar Arrué (October 22, 1899 – November 27, 1975), known as Salarrué (a derivation of his surnames), was a Salvadorian writer, poet, and painter. Born in Sonsonate to a well-off family, Salarrué trained a ...

(Salvador Salazar Arrué) (1899–1975),

Claudia Lars Claudia Lars, born in Armenia, El Salvador on December 20, 1899 as Margarita del Carmen Brannon Vega, was a Salvadoran poet. She died in San Salvador in 1974. She was the daughter of Peter Patrick Brannon and Carmen Vega Zelayandía.Plumlee, A. ...

Alfredo Espino Alfredo Espino (1900—August 1928) was a poet from El Salvador. Born in Ahuachapán, his only book is ''Jícaras Tristes'' (Sad Vessels), a collection of 96 poems. It is one of the most published books of poetry in El Salvador. Espino died ...

Pedro Geoffroy Rivas Pedro Geoffroy Rivas (16 September 1908 - 10 November 1979) was an anthropologist, poet, and linguist. His poetic work marked a landmark in Salvadoran poetic development. A rebellious, individualistic poet, Rivas incorporated in his poetry the ...

Manlio Argueta Manlio Argueta (born 24 November 1935) is a Salvadoran writer, critic, and novelist. Although he is primarily a poet, he is best known in the English speaking world for his novel '' One Day of Life''.

, José Roberto Cea, and poet

Roque Dalton Roque is an American variant of croquet played on a hard, smooth surface. Popular in the first quarter of the 20th century and billed "the Game of the Century" by its enthusiasts, it was an Olympic sport in the 1904 Summer Games, replacing cr ...

are among the most important writers from El Salvador. Notable 20th-century personages include the late filmmaker Baltasar Polio, female film director Patricia Chica, artist

Fernando Llort Fernando Llort Choussy (7 April 1949 – 10 August 2018) was a Salvadoran artist, often dubbed "El Salvador's National Artist" by the Foundation for Self Sufficiency in Central America (now called EcoViva). Fernando Llort was a man of passion, ...

, and

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Alf ...

Toño Salazar. Amongst the more renowned representatives of the graphic arts are the painters

Augusto Crespin Augusto Crespin is a Salvadorans artist known for his ink drawings, paintings, and engravings, and illustrations. Early life and education Crespinwas born in El Salvador in July 1956. He studied ink drawing and painting in the Academy of Va ...

, Noe Canjura, Carlos Cañas, Giovanni Gil, Julia Díaz, Mauricio Mejia, Maria Elena Palomo de Mejia,

Camilo Minero Camilo Minero (born Camilo Minero Nochez) was born in Zacatecoluca, La Paz, Zacatecoluca, El Salvador on November 11, 1917. He was a painter, muralist, and an engraver. As a painter, he worked with oil painting, prints, Screen printing, serigraphs ...

, Ricardo Carbonell, Roberto Huezo, Miguel Angel Cerna, (the painter and writer better known as MACLo), Esael Araujo, and many others. For more information on prominent citizens of El Salvador, check the List of Salvadorans.

Notable Salvadoran people

File:14, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Aug 2, 2018.jpg,

McLeod Bethel-Thompson McLeod John Baltazar Bethel-Thompson (born July 3, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at UCLA and Sacramento State. He is the gran ...

is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Sacramento State. File:Emerson Esnal Hernández 2013.jpg,

Emerson Hernández Emerson Esnal Hernández (born January 29, 1989 in San Salvador, El Salvador) is a Salvadoran race walker. He began racing after a team of sports recruiters selected his best friend to try out, Hernández accompanied his friend, and one of th ...

is a Salvadorean race walker. File:Ceren.jpg, Darwin Cerén is a Salvadoran footballer who plays for the Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes and is captain of the El Salvador national team File:Arturo Alvarez at Galaxy at Earthquakes 2010-08-21 6.JPG,

Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985) José Arturo Álvarez Hernández (born June 28, 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a winger and forward. Born in the United States, he represented the El Salvador national team. Career Professional Álvarez did not play ...

is a Salvadoran American footballer who plays as a winger and forward for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire File:Dustin Corea 20120308.jpg, Dustin Corea is a Salvadoran international footballer who plays for FC Edmonton. File:Eriq Zavaleta UofM Mens Soccer (6272263273).jpg,

Eriq Zavaleta Eriq Anthony Zavaleta (born August 2, 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a center-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. Born in the United States, he represents the El Salvador national team. Youth and college Zavaleta p ...

is an American soccer player who plays as a center back for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. File:Steve Purdy 2012 cropped.jpg, Steve Purdy is a Salvadoran American footballer who plays as a defender for Orange County Blues in the USL. He has played for the El Salvador national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2011 and 2013. File:Ed Weeks at PaleyFest 2013.jpg,

Ed Weeks Edward Charles Egerton Weeks (born 25 October 1980) is an English actor, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known for starring as Dr. Jeremy Reed in the Fox/ Hulu comedy series ''The Mindy Project'' (2012–2017). He also starred as Col ...

is an English actor, comedian, writer and producer. He played Dr. Jeremy Reed on the Fox comedy series ''The Mindy Project.'' Born and raised in England, his mother is a native of El Salvador File:Arevalo RG19 (24) (48199356311).jpg,

Marcelo Arévalo Marcelo Arévalo González (; born October 17, 1990) is a Salvadoran professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 5 in doubles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he first achieved on 14 November 2022. ...

is a professional Salvadoran tennis player File:Alas21.jpg,

Jaime Alas Jaime Enrique Alas Morales (born 30 July 1989) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga Nacional club Municipal and the El Salvador national team. Club career Alas' professional career began in July 2006, ...

is a Salvadoran professional footballer File:Rodolfo Zelaya Alianza FC 2014.jpg,

Rodolfo Zelaya Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García (born 3 July 1988) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a second striker for Salvadoran club Alianza and the El Salvador national team. In October 2013, Zelaya was given a one-year ban from foot ...

is a Salvadoran professional footballer File:Rafael-Burgos.jpg,

Rafael Burgos Rafael Edgardo Burgos (born June 3, 1988 in La Paz, El Salvador) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a forward for Independiente. Club career Burgos started his career at Alianza F.C., but moved to Segunda División club ...

is a Salvadoran professional forward File:Andrés Flores Timbers (cropped).jpg,

Andrés Flores Andrés Alexander Flores Mejía (born 31 August 1990) is a Salvadoran professional football manager and former player. He is the current assistant coach of Portland Timbers 2 in the MLS Next Pro. Club career Nicknamed ''Ruso'', Flores was sign ...

is a Salvadoran professional footballer, who plays for the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

. File:USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago (48124824073) (cropped).jpg,

Cristian Roldan Cristian Roldan (born June 3, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the United States national team. He was the 2013 Gatorade National Player of the Ye ...

is an American professional soccer player, who currently plays as a midfielder for

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

File:Filmingtamaleroad.jpg, Marcos Villatoro is a writer from the United States. He is the author of six novels, two collections of poetry and a memoir, and the producer/director of the documentary “Tamale Road: A Memoir from El Salvador.” File:Nayib Bukele (cropped).jpg,

Nayib Bukele Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez (; born 24 July 1981) is a Salvadoran politician and businessman who is the 43rd president of El Salvador, serving since 1 June 2019. He is the first president since José Napoleón Duarte (1984–1989) not to have ...

is a Salvadoran politician and businessman File:Guillermo Alexander Hasbún.png, Guillermo Hasbún, president of CIFCO File:Mario Duran.jpg, Mario Duran, minister of governance File:Aghamustafa.JPG, Mustafa Al-Salvadori, president of the shia islamic association File:Frank Rubio official portrait.jpg, Francisco Rubio (astronaut) is a US Army helicopter pilot, flight surgeon, and NASA astronaut candidate of the class of 2017. File:JW.jpg, Johnny Wright is a Salvadoran politician File:Mauricio Interiano.jpg, Mauricio Interiano is a Salvadoran politician File:Carlos Calleja.jpg, Carlos Calleja is a Salvadoran politician File:José Atilio Benítez Parada.jpg, José Atilio Benítez Parada is Salvadoran General, ambassador and former Minister of Defense. File:Roberto José d'Aubuisson.jpg, Roberto José d'Aubuisson Munguía is a Salvadoran politician File:Daboub, Juan José (IMF portrait, 2008).jpg, Juan Jose Daboub is the chairman and CEO of The Daboub Partnership, Founding Chief Executive Officer of the Global Adaptation Institute and former managing director of the World Bank (2006–2010) File:Mauricio Funes (Brasilia, May 2008).jpg,

Mauricio Funes Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena (born 18 October 1959) is a Salvadoran politician and former journalist who served as President of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. Funes won the 2009 Salvadoran presidential election, 2009 presidential election as ...

is a Salvadoran politician who was President of El Salvador from June 1, 2009 to June 1, 2014 File:Miguel Ángel Pereira.png, Miguel Ángel Pereira, politician File:José Luis Escobar Alas (2015).jpg, José Luis Escobar Alas, Archbishop of San Salvador File:Luciana Sandoval.JPG, Luciana Sandoval is a Salvadoran presenter, dancer and former model. File:Monica Lewinsky.jpg,

Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...

's father

Bernard Lewinsky Bernard Salomon Lewinsky (born January 10, 1943) is a Salvadoran-born American physician and medical researcher. He is also a photographer, and many of his photographs are displayed at medical offices. He organized a legal defense fund for his ...

was born in

File:Ana Villafañe 180510-D-SW162-2289 (40233222630).jpg,

Ana Villafañe Ana Teresa Villafañe ( ; born June 5, 1989) is an American actress and singer from Miami, Florida, best known for her portrayal of pop icon Gloria Estefan in the Broadway musical ''On Your Feet!''. Life and career She was born on June 5, 1989, ...

is an actress and singer File:Adrian Bellani 2016.png, Adrian Bellani is an actor File:J. D. Pardo by Gage Skidmore.jpg,

J. D. Pardo Jorge Daniel Pardo (born September 7, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Jack Toretto in '' F9'' (2021), as well as the lead role of Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes in the television series '' Mayans M.C.'' (2018–present). Early life ...

is an actor File:WikiFrancisco.jpg,

Francisco Caceres Francisco Cáceres is a three-time Emmy winning TV journalist and producer. He's currently a host for Telemundo’s national morning show, Un Nuevo Día; and a contributor for NBC's The Today Show and Access Hollywood. Early life Francisco Cáce ...

is a TV host and producer. He's currently the Film Expert for Telemundo’s national morning show, Un Nuevo Día based in Miami, Florida File:2005 Voice Awards Maurice Benard and Charles Curie (18426533841).jpg,

Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. In 1993, he was cast as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Early life and career Benard was born Mauricio José Morales in Martinez, California, the son of Martha ...

is an actor who is well k own for playing

Sonny Corinthos Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Maurice Benard has played the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993. Sonn ...

on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. File:Linda Arsenio.jpg,

Linda Arsenio Linda Arsenio (born June 20, 1978) is an American actress and model from Texas. She has predominantly appeared in Indian films in various languages. She is probably best known for her performance as Jessica Beckham in the 2006 Hindi film ''Kabul ...

is an actress and model File:Malin Arvidsson, August 2014.jpg, Malin Arvidsson is an actor and dancer File:SomayaReece24.jpg, Somaya Reece is a Salvadoran American hip hop and reality TV star File:Christy Turlington LF.JPG,

Christy Turlington Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein (fashion house), Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington w ...

is an American supermodel. Her mother is from El Salvador. She first represented Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014 and also represents Maybelline. File:Zuleika Soler en La Prensa Gráfica.jpg,

Zuleika Soler Zuleika Soler Aragón (born June 29, 1994) is a Salvadoran model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Reinado de El Salvador 2019. She represented El Salvador at the Miss Universe 2019. Personal life Soler was born on June 29, 1994, ...

, model and beauty pageant titleholder File:Sabi fft.jpg,

Sabi (singer) Jenice Dena Portlock (born November 24, 1987), also known as Sabi, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress from Los Angeles, California. She was formerly part of the hip hop girl group The Bangz. Biography Early life and ...

is a Salvadoran-American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress from Los Angeles, California. She was formerly part of the hip hop girl group, The Bangz. She is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. File:YancyClavel.jpg,

Ana Yancy Clavel Ana Yancy Clavel (born April 28, 1992) is a Salvadorian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss El Salvador in 2012. Clavel represented El Salvador in Miss Universe 2012. Career Her career started in the world of modeling participating i ...

is a Salvadorian beauty queen and TV personality File:Carla vila.jpg, Carla Vila is a Salvadoran American actress File:Elizabeth Espinosa.jpg, Elizabeth Espinosa reporter and journalist File:TENOR FERNANDO DEL VALLE ONSTAGE.jpg, Fernando del Valle is an American operatic tenor. File:Allison Iraheta.jpg,

Allison Iraheta Allison Iraheta (; born April 27, 1992) is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to ''Idol'', Iraheta won the Telemundo competition ''Quinceañera: Mam� ...

is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. File:Victor R. Ramirez (2007).jpg,

Victor R. Ramirez Victor R. Ramirez (born July 20, 1974) is a former state delegate and state senator for District 47 in Prince George's County, Maryland. He was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, in 1974. His family soon after moved to the United States and he ...

is the current state senator for District 47 in Prince George's County, Maryland File:J.R. Martinez.jpg, J. R. Martinez is an American actor, motivational speaker and former U.S. Army soldier. Starting in 2008, he played the role of Brot Monroe on the ABC daytime drama All My Children. He is the winner of Season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Martinez served as the Grand Marshal of the 2012 Rose Parade. He is currently costarring on the syndicated action series SAF3. File:Moulitsas-army.jpg,

Markos Moulitsas Markos Moulitsas Zúniga (; born September 11, 1971), often known by his username and former military nickname "Kos" ( ), is an American blogger who is the founder and publisher of Daily Kos, a blog focusing on liberal and Democratic Party poli ...

is a Salvadoran American that served in the U.S. Army from 1989 through 1992. He is the founder and publisher of Daily Kos, a blog focusing on liberal and Democratic Party politics in the United States. He co-founded SB Nation, a collection of sports blogs, which is now a part of Vox Media File:Maestro carlos irigoyen ruiz 20090221 1787960594.jpg, Carlos Irigoyen Ruiz was a renowned Salvadoran musician during the 1920s-1940s. File:La ciclista Evelyn García.jpg,

Evelyn García Evelyn Yesenia García Marroquín (born December 29, 1982) is a Salvadoran cycle racer, who specialises as an all-rounder, having won time-trials and mountain stages in the past. She has won the Vuelta a El Salvador on two occasions, the only ...

is a Salvadoran cycle racer who rides for the Fenixs team. File:Herbert Sosa.jpg,

Herbert Sosa Herbert Arnoldo Sosa Burgos (born January 11, 1990 in San Salvador) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Club career Sosa's professional career began in July 2007, when he signed a contract with Chalatenango. He ...

is a Salvadoran professional footballer. File:Ricardo Saprissa.jpg,

Ricardo Saprissa Ricardo Juan Antonio Saprissa Aymá (24 June 1901 – 16 August 1990) was a lifelong athlete, coach, and promoter of sports. After being raised in El Salvador, he spent many years in Costa Rica, playing and coaching football. In 1935 he was co ...

was a lifelong athlete, coach, and promoter of sports. File:Rosie Casals 1981 (cropped).jpeg,

Rosemary Casals Rosemary "Rosie" Casals (born September 16, 1948) is an American former professional tennis player. Casals earned her reputation as a rebel in the tennis world when she began competing in the early 1960s. During a tennis career that spanned mor ...

is a former American professional tennis player File:Sub 23 2013-09-22 10-21.jpg,

Richard Menjívar Richard "Richie" Guillermo Menjivar Peraza (born October 31, 1990) is a Salvadoran international footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Chalatenango. Career After spending his college career at University of Evansville and Cal State Bakersfie ...

is a Salvadoran international footballer currently playing for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. File:Emirandahufc.jpg,

Edwin Miranda Edwin Vladimir Miranda (born January 28, 1981) is a retired Salvadoran footballer. Career College Miranda grew up in Los Angeles, California, and played four years of college soccer at Cal State-Northridge, where he was twice named Big West Con ...

grew up in Los Angeles, California and played four years of college soccer at Cal State-Northridge, where he was twice named Big West Conference Defender of the Year. File:Hala Ayala at volunteer appreciation event.jpg,

Hala Ayala Hala S. Ayala (born 1973) is an American politician who represented the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022. She was the Democratic nominee in the 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, losing to Repub ...

is an cybersecurity specialist and democrat politician representing the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates. File:Miss El Salvador Maribel Arrieta Gálvez, 1955.jpg, Maribel Arrieta Gálvez was a Salvadoran beauty queen where she represented her country at Miss Universe 1955. Arrieta met Baron Jacques Thuret (of Belgian/French nobility) and both were married in 1963, granting her the title "Baronesa de Thuret".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salvadoran People Central American people by nationality Ethnic groups in Central America

Demonym

National Symbols

History

Lithic era

Archaic Period

Mesoamerican-Isthmus cultures

Spanish conquest (1522)

Growth of the population

Salvadoran Diaspora in the United States

Ethnic groups

White and Mestizo Salvadorans

Arab Salvadorans

Indigenous Salvadorans

Other

Language

Literacy

Religion

Culture

Notable Salvadoran people

See also

References