Salvadoran Expatriate Men's Footballers
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Salvadorans (), also known as Salvadorians, are citizens of
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of 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 by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
, a country in
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
. 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 birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
, 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 (), initially known as the United Provinces of Central America (), was a sovereign state in Central America that existed between 1823 and 1839/1841. The republic was composed of five states (Costa Rica ...
, ''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
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
.


National Symbols


History


Lithic era

File:Pinturas Rupestres Corinto Morazan 06.JPG, Humanoid petroglyph in Holy Spirit Grotto (corinto cave), Morazán, El Salvador. File:Pinturas Rupestres Corinto Morazan.JPG, Petroglyphs in Holy Spirit Grotto (corinto cave), Morazán, El Salvador. El Salvador was inhabited by
Paleo-Indians Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...
, the
first peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
who subsequently inhabited, the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
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:Caca ...
, both in Morazán. Originating in the
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
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
Lenca The Lenca,are an Indigenous people from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They historically spoke various dialects of the Lencan languages such as Chilanga, Putun (Potón), and Kotik, but today are nat ...
s later occupied the caves and utilized them as spiritual spaces. Other ancient petroglyphs are located in San José 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 city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
). Other cave locations include the cave of Los Fierros and La Cuevona, both in Cuscatlán.


Archaic Period

Native Americans appeared in the Pleistocene era 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 ' ...
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 ...
era to
European colonization of the Americas During the Age of Discovery, a large scale colonization of the Americas, involving a number of European countries, took place primarily between the late 15th century and the early 19th century. The Norse explored and colonized areas of Europe a ...
during the early modern period.


Mesoamerican-Isthmus cultures

File:Temazcal en Joya de Cerén.jpg, Joya de Cerén 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 ...
File:Casa Blanca 1.JPG, Casa Blanca File:ES SanAndres 06 2011 Panorama Estructura 1 y 2 La Acropolis 2194.jpg, San Andrés File:Piramide Cihuatan.jpg, Cihuatán 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 Joya de Cerén archaeological site File:ES Joya Ceren Museum 05 2012 1520.JPG, Mayan artifact found at the Joya de Cerén 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,
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 ...
's Xipe Totec.
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 in the western part of the country, and to the Isthmo-Colombian Area 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 The Indigenous languages of the Americas are the languages that were used by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas before the arrival of non-Indigenous peoples. Over a thousand of these languages are still used today, while many more are now e ...
in the beginning of 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 ...
. Evidence of
Olmec The Olmecs () or Olmec were an early known major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 Before the Common Era, BCE during Mesoamerica's Mesoamerican chronolog ...
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 on boulders in Chalchuapa portraying Olmec 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 BCE and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica ...
. 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 in the beginning of preclassic period. The 'Olmec Boulder, ' is a sculpture of a giant head found near Casa Blanca, El Salvador site in Las Victorias near Chalchuapa. "Olmecoid" figurines, such as the Potbelly sculpture, have been found through this area, in fact most are described as looking primeval proto-Olmeca. In the end of middle preclassic, by 650 BC, this culture would be replaced by the Maya. The
Lenca people The Lenca,are an Indigenous people from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They historically spoke various dialects of the Lencan languages such as Chilanga, Putun (Potón), and Kotik, but today are nat ...
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 developed independent of other civilizations in other locations. A civilization is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratifi ...
s to develop in El Salvador and were the first major civilization in the country. The pre-Conquest Salvadoran Lenca 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 Americas, visual arts of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, North America, North, Central America, Central, and South Americas from at least 13,000 BCE to the European con ...
. 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 Mesoamerican chronology, Late Preclassic period (500 BC - AD 250 ...
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, a
Misumalpan language The Misumalpan languages (also Misumalpa or Misuluan) are a small family of languages spoken by different ethnic groups on the east coast of Nicaragua and the Eastern Half of HonduraThe name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason and is com ...
. 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 different ethnic groups on the east coast of Nicaragua and the Eastern Half of HonduraThe name "Misumalpan" was devised by John Alden Mason and is co ...
. 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: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...
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 Poqomchiʼ. Notable Poqomam settlements are located in Chinautla ( Guatemala (department)), Palín ( Escuintl ...
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 See also * Chorti, Iran {{disamb ...
. 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 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 Mayan civilization, 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 u ...
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 The calendar, calendrical systems devised and used by the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica, primarily a 260-day year, were used in religious observances and social rituals, such as divination. These calendars have been dated to early as ca. ...
and
Mesoamerican ballgame The Mesoamerican ballgame (, , ) was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a modernized ...
can be found in all Maya ruins in El Salvador which include
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 ...
, San Andrés, El Salvador, Casa Blanca, El Salvador, Cihuatán, and Joya de Cerén. 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-Manguea ...
, a now-extinct Oto-Manguean language. They occupied land near the eastern El Salvador border, near the gulf. The
Pipil people The Pipil are an Indigenous group of Mesoamerican people inhabiting the western and central areas of present-day El Salvador and Nicaragua. They are a subgroup of the larger Nahua ethnic group. They speak the Nawat language, which is a closel ...
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 Uto-Nahuan ethnicity and one of the Indigenous people of Mexico, with Nahua minorities also in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. They comprise the largest Indigenous group in Mexico, as well as ...
and were speakers of early Nahuatl languages. However, in general, their mythology is more closely related to the
Maya mythology Maya mythology 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 legends of the era have to be ...
, 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.


Spanish conquest (1522)

By 1521, the indigenous population of the Mesoamerican area had been drastically reduced by the smallpox epidemic 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 ...
, who led an expedition to Central America. He disembarked in the
Gulf of Fonseca The Gulf of Fonseca (; ), a part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The waters of the gulf are shared among all three countries. History Fonseca Bay was discovered by European ...
on 31 May 1522, at Meanguera island, naming it Petronila, and then traversed to Jiquilisco Bay on the mouth of
Lempa River The Lempa River () is a river in Central America. It is a transboundary river shared by El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Geography Its sources are located in between the Sierra Madre and the Sierra del Merendón mountain ranges in southern ...
. 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
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
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 Ahuachapán File:Potada.JPG, Salvadoran model Irma Dimas from
Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and district of El Salvador, of which it is also its municipal seat. It has an estimated population of 71,980 inhabitants for the year 2020. Sonsonate is the second most important city in western El Salvador. The town was ...
File:PuertoLaLibertadSV.jpg, Salvadoran boy in Puerto de La Libertad File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25439135320).jpg, Salvadoran boy in San Pedro Perulapán File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25740938735).jpg, Salvadoran boys in San Pedro Perulapán File:Festival para el Buen Vivir y Gobernando con la Gente-San Pedro Perulapán. (25440266500).jpg, Salvadoran boys coloring, San Pedro Perulapán
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of 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 by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
has the largest population density in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, and is the third most populated country in
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
after
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
and
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
, 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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
;
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
is the second country that hosts more Salvadorans behind the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, 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 Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern 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 maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
,
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
,
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
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 areas for the Salvadoran community are: Salvadoran-American diaspora over time:


Ethnic groups


White and Mestizo Salvadorans

As is the case elsewhere in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, there is no clear distinction between White and Mestizo Salvadorans, the large majority of the population have varying proportions of
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
and Native American ancestry. In addition, many Salvadorans have more recent ancestry from French,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...
, English, Irish, and
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
descent. A majority of
Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
an settlers in El Salvador arrived during World War II as refugees from the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, and
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. In northern departments like the
Chalatenango Department Chalatenango () is a department of El Salvador located in the northwest of the country. The department's capital city is the city of Chalatenango, which shares the same name as the department. Chalatenango covers a land area of and contains ...
, 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 (1748–1807) was a Spanish administrator of partial Burgundian descent in the employ of the Spanish Empire. He was a Knight of Malta. Biography Youth and military care ...
, ordered families from northern Spain ( Galicia and
Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
) 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,
La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. La Pa ...
, 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. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
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 200,000); mostly from
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
(especially from the area of
Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...
), but also from Lebanon. Salvadorans of Palestinian descent numbered around 150,000 individuals, while Salvadorans of Lebanese descent is around 30,000. There is also a small community of
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
who came to El Salvador from France, Germany,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
,
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
, and
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. 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 (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
against Maronite Catholics. 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 () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...
community forms the largest Arab diaspora population in El Salvador, with 150,000 direct descendants, followed by the Lebanese community with more than 30,000 direct descendants. Both are almost entirely composed of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and Orthodox Christians. 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

According to the Salvadoran Government, about 1% of the population are of full or predominantly indigenous origin. Currently the only native groups of El Salvador are the Pipil people, Lenca people and Cacaopera people; before the Spanish Conquest, the territory also hosted small enclaves of
Maya peoples Maya () 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 who lived w ...
: the Pogomam/ Chorti, the Xinca, and the Mengue. The Pipil are located in the west and central part of the country; the
Lenca The Lenca,are an Indigenous people from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They historically spoke various dialects of the Lencan languages such as Chilanga, Putun (Potón), and Kotik, but today are nat ...
are found east of the
Lempa River The Lempa River () is a river in Central America. It is a transboundary river shared by El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Geography Its sources are located in between the Sierra Madre and the Sierra del Merendón mountain ranges in southern ...
; and there are small populations of
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 ...
in the
Morazán Department Morazán () is a Departments of El Salvador, 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 (558.8 mi² Square Miles). History G ...
. 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 (Spanish language, Spanish for 'The Massacre') refers to a Communism, communist-Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous rebellion that took place in El Salvador between 22 and 25 January 1932. After the revolt was suppressed, it was ...
(or ''La Matanza''). This massacre saw (estimates of) up to 30,000
peasants A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising f ...
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
Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and district of El Salvador, of which it is also its municipal seat. It has an estimated population of 71,980 inhabitants for the year 2020. Sonsonate is the second most important city in western El Salvador. The town was ...
(especially
Izalco Izalco () is a town and 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 1966, it wa ...
, Nahuizalco, and
Santo Domingo de Guzmán Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the city center had a population of 1,029,110 while its Met ...
),
Cacaopera Cacaopera is a municipality in the Morazán department of El Salvador. According to UNESCO:Caca ...
, and
Panchimalco Panchimalco 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 ...
, in the
San Salvador Department San Salvador () is a department of El Salvador in the west central part of the country. The capital is San Salvador, which is also the national capital. The department has North of the Rio Lempa Valley, the "Valle de las Hamacas" (Hammock Valle ...
.


Other

In the 2007 census, 0.7% of the population was considered as "other". There are up to 100,000
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
ns 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.
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
(official), Salvadoran Sign Language, Pipil (Nawat), Kekchí. Immigrant languages include Chinese,
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, 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 and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...
.


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,
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
File:Postal de la Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador.jpg, San Salvador Cathedral File:CATEDRAL DE SAN MIGUEL, EL SALVADOR - panoramio.jpg, Cathedral Basilica of Queen of Peace File:Iglesia Don Rua.JPG, Iglesia Don Rúa,
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
File:Fachada principal de la Iglesia El Calvario.JPG, Iglesia El Calvario,
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
File:El Carmen SantaTecla.jpg, Iglesia El Carmen, Santa Tecla File:Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.jpg, Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús,
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
File:Santa Ana Catedral Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana 2.jpg, Cathedral of Santa Ana
There is diversity of religious beliefs in El Salvador. The majority of the population is
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
.
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(47%) and
Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...
(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 Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
,
Hare Krishnas The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by ...
,
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
,
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
,
Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...
,
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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
, and those adhering to indigenous religious beliefs.


Culture

File:Palmaarte.jpg, La Palma-type art, from La Palma, El Salvador File:Artesanias de Ilobasco Tucan.JPG, Arts and craft from Ilobasco 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 250,760 (2024) inhabitants and serves both as the cap ...
File:Tienda de artesanías en el Centro Historico de juayua.JPG, Mesoamerican souvenirs from Juayúa 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 Concepción de 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 File:SVhammocks.jpg, Salvadpran hammocks from
Morazán Department Morazán () is a Departments of El Salvador, 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 (558.8 mi² Square Miles). History G ...
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 east of the capital, San Salvador. It is also the capital of the department of San Miguel and a municipality. The population of the cit ...
File:Festival de bolas Fuego, Nejapa - El Salvador.JPG, Fire ball festival in Nejapa File:La Esquna de Ataco.jpg, The town of Concepción de Ataco File:Casas de Suchitoto.jpg, colonial houses of Suchitoto File:Cemetery in San Miguel, El Salvador.jpg, Colorful cemetery
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 east of the capital, San Salvador. It is also the capital of the department of San Miguel and a municipality. The population of the cit ...
The culture of El Salvador is a
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
n culture nation influenced by the clash of ancient
Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...
and medieval
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
.
Salvadoran Salvadorans (), also known as Salvadorians, are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvadoran diaspora, particularly in the United States, with smalle ...
culture is influenced by Native American culture (
Lenca people The Lenca,are an Indigenous people from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They historically spoke various dialects of the Lencan languages such as Chilanga, Putun (Potón), and Kotik, but today are nat ...
,
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 ...
,
Maya peoples Maya () 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 who lived w ...
,
Pipil people The Pipil are an Indigenous group of Mesoamerican people inhabiting the western and central areas of present-day El Salvador and Nicaragua. They are a subgroup of the larger Nahua ethnic group. They speak the Nawat language, which is a closel ...
) as well as
Latin American culture The culture of Latin America 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 prac ...
(
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
,
Hispanic America Hispanic America ( or ), historically known as Spanish America () or Castile (historical region), Castilian America (), is the Spanish-speaking countries and territories of the Americas. In all of these countries, Spanish language, Spanish is th ...
,
Ibero-America Ibero-America (, ) or Iberian America is generally considered to be the region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages (usually former colony, territories of Spain or Portugal). Sp ...
).
Mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
culture and the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
dominates the country. Although the
Romance language The Romance languages, also known as the Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are the languages that are Language family, directly descended from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-E ...
, Castilian
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, 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 pron ...
which is part of
Central American Spanish Central American Spanish ( 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, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Pa ...
has influences of
Native American languages The Indigenous languages of the Americas are the languages that were used by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas Pre-Columbian era, before the arrival of non-Indigenous peoples. Over a thousand of these languages are still used today, while m ...
of El Salvador such as Lencan languages, Cacaopera language,
Mayan languages The Mayan languages In 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 a ...
and
Pipil language Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nahuat) is a Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan family. Before Spanish colonization it was spoken in several parts of present-day Central ...
, which are still spoken in some regions of El Salvador
Mestizo ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
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 that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...
population of Cuzcatlan with the European settlers. The
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
plays an important role in the Salvadoran culture.
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Óscar Romero Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (15 August 1917 – 24 March 1980) was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador, Archdiocese of San Salvador, the Titular ...
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 The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priests and professors
Ignacio Ellacuría Ignacio Ellacuría (November 9, 1930 – November 16, 1989) was a Spanish-Salvadoran Jesuit, philosopher, and theology, theologian who worked as a professor and Rector (academia), rector at the Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Ca ...
,
Ignacio Martín-Baró Ignacio Martín-Baró (November 7, 1942 – November 16, 1989) was a scholar, social psychologist, philosopher and Jesuit priest who was born in Valladolid, Castilla y Leon, Spain and died in San Salvador, El Salvador. He was one of the vi ...
, and
Segundo Montes Segundo Montes (May 15, 1933 – November 16, 1989) was a scholar, philosopher, educator, sociologist and Jesuit priest who was born in Valladolid, Spain and died in San Salvador, El Salvador. He was one of the victims of the 1989 murders of Je ...
, 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 (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, Pedro Geoffroy Rivas,
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 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, and
caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Abril Lamarque (1904–1999) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfre ...
Toño Salazar. Amongst the more renowned representatives of the graphic arts are the painters Augusto Crespin, Noe Canjura, Carlos Cañas, Giovanni Gil, Julia Díaz, Mauricio Mejía, María Elena Palomo de Mejía, Camilo Minero, Ricardo Carbonell, Roberto Huezo, Miguel Ángel 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 This is a list of notable people born in El Salvador or of Salvadoran descent (also see Salvadoran American). Arts *Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry, painter, sculptor, and author; wife of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry *Fernando Llort, painter and sc ...
.


Notable Salvadoran people

File:Emerson Esnal Hernández 2013.jpg, Emerson Hernández is a Salvadorean race walker. File:Ceren.jpg,
Darwin Cerén Darwin Adelso Cerén Delgado (born 31 December 1989) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Primera División club Águila, which he captains, and the El Salvador national team. He is the most capped ...
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 played for 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 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 Steven Francis Purdy Ramos (born February 5, 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in the United States, he represented El Salvador national team at international level, appearing for them at the CONCACAF Go ...
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. 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 Colin in the Fox comedy series '' ...
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 is the current world No. 1 in doubles by the ATP, achieved on 11 November 2024 and has a career-high singles ranking of No. 139, attained in Ap ...
is a professional Salvadoran tennis player File:Alas21.jpg, Jaime Alas is a Salvadoran professional footballer File:Rodolfo Zelaya Alianza FC 2014.jpg, Rodolfo Zelaya is a Salvadoran professional footballer File:Rafael-Burgos.jpg, Rafael Burgos 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 Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...
in
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
. File:USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago (48124824073) (cropped).jpg, Cristian Roldan is an American professional soccer player, who currently plays as a midfielder for
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
in
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
File:Filmingtamaleroad.jpg,
Marcos Villatoro Marcos McPeek 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." He has written essays for Nat ...
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 has served as the 81st president of El Salvador since 2019. In 1999, Bukele established an advertising company and worked at an advertising com ...
is a Salvadoran politician and businessman File:Guillermo Alexander Hasbún.png, Guillermo Hasbún, president of CIFCO File:Mario Duran.jpg, Mario Durán, 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:Mauricio Interiano.jpg, Mauricio Interiano 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 (18 October 1959 – 21 January 2025) was a Salvadoran politician and journalist who served as the 79th president of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. Funes won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of t ...
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 José Luis Escobar Alas (born 10 March 1959) is a Salvadoran Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of San Salvador since 2009. Escobar served as Bishop of San Vicente beginning in 2005, prior to his elevation to San Salvador on 27 D ...
, 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. Lewinsky became internationally known in the late 1990s after U.S. President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an affair with her during her days as a White House intern ...
's father Bernard Lewinsky was born in
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
,
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of 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 by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
,
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
File:Ana Villafañe 180510-D-SW162-2289 (40233222630).jpg, Ana Villafañe 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 the lead role of Ezekiel Reyes, Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes in the television series ''Mayans M.C.'' (2018–2023), as well as a young Jack Toretto in ''F9 (fil ...
is an actor File:WikiFrancisco.jpg, Francisco Caceres 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. He played Nico Kelly in the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' from 1987 to 1990 and in 1991 portrayed Desi Arnaz in the biographical television film '' Lucy & Desi: Before the La ...
is an actor who is well known 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 ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an Ameri ...
on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. File:Linda Arsenio.jpg, Linda Arsenio 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 ( Turlington; born January 2, 1969) is an American fashion model. She initially attracted fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a supermodel. She represented Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and aga ...
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, model and beauty pageant titleholder File:Sabi fft.jpg, Sabi (singer) 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 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 singing, singer who was the fourth place finalist on the American Idol (season 8), eighth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to ''Idol'', Iraheta won the Telemundo competition ''Quinceañera: ...
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 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 pol ...
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 on ...
is a Salvadoran cycle racer who rides for the Fenixs team. File:Herbert Sosa.jpg, Herbert Sosa is a Salvadoran professional footballer. File:Ricardo Saprissa.jpg, Ricardo Saprissa was a lifelong athlete, coach, and promoter of sports. File:Rosie Casals 1981 (cropped).jpeg,
Rosemary Casals Rosemary Casals (born September 16, 1948) is an American former professional tennis player. During a tennis career that spanned more than two decades, she won more than 90 titles and was crucial to many of the changes in women's tennis during t ...
is a former American professional tennis player File:Sub 23 2013-09-22 10-21.jpg, Richard Menjívar is a Salvadoran international footballer currently playing for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. File:Emirandahufc.jpg, Edwin 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 Conference Defender of the Year. File:Hala Ayala at volunteer appreciation event.jpg, Hala Ayala 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".


See also

*
Salvadoran Americans Salvadoran Americans ( or ) are Americans of full or partial El Salvador, Salvadoran descent. As of 2021, there are 2,473,947 Salvadoran Americans in the United States, the Hispanic and Latino Americans#National origin, third-largest Hispanic ...
* Salvadoran Mexicans *
List of Salvadorans This is a list of notable people born in El Salvador or of Salvadoran descent (also see Salvadoran American). Arts *Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry, painter, sculptor, and author; wife of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry *Fernando Llort, painter and sc ...
*
Criollo people In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of full Spaniards, Spanish descent born in the Viceroyalty, viceroyalties. In different Latin American countries, the word has come to have different meanings, mostly ...
*
Afro-Salvadorans Afro-Salvadorans (), also known as Black Salvadorans () are Salvadorans of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. They are the descendants of slaves brought to El Salvador via the Trans-atlantic slave trade during the colonial Span ...


References

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