SAN SALVADOR, Republic of, Central America, extends along the Pacific Ocean from the Bay or Gulf of Conchagua to the Rio de Paz. It lies between 10' and 15' N. lat., 45' and 45' W. long. ; and is bounded E. by Nicaragua, N. by Honduras, W. by Guatemala, and S. by the Pacific Ocean. The area is about 6880 square miles. The population is about 300,000.
San Salvador is the smallest, but, in proportion to its size, much the most populous, of the republics of Central America. The surface is very unequal. The main portion of the coast extends along the Pacific in a generally west-north-west and east-south-east direction for about 140 miles; while on the east a smaller portion of it forms the western half of the Bay of Conebagua. There are four harbours Acajtitla or Sonsonate, Libertad, and La Union, which are ports of entry, and Jiquilisco or Triumfo de los Libres. Except La Union, which is on the west shore of the Bay of Concliagua, and is extensive and safe, these harbours are, properly speaking, only open roadsteads, hardly accessible during the rainy season and the prevalence of the south-west winds. As far northward as Libertad the shore is bordered by a narrow tract of low and generally level land from 10 to 12 miles wide; bat farther north, up to Sonsonate, the coast is more elevated end broken. The interior is very rugged, being broken by several short ranges of mountains of moderate height, but separated into distinct groups. About 12 to 15 miles from the coast, and nearly parallel to it, are the five volcanoes of Apaneca, Yzalco, San Salvador, San Vicente, and San MigueL San Salvador and San Vicente are the loftiest, being upwards of 8000 feet above the level of the sea. The eruptions of San Salvador have at times been very destructive ; but Yzalco is by far the most remarkable, from its unceasingly active condition, surpassing, it is said, in this respect, and in the impetuosity of its eruptions, any other volcano in America. Neither of the other volcanoes has exhibited other than very slight eruptions of late years.
The rivers of San Salvador have only a short course, and are in their natural state of little importance ; though it is asserted that they might easily be rendered of great service for irrigation, and some of them be made navigable for barges and other small craft. The chief river is the Lempa, which rising in Esqulpnlas, in Guatemala, forms fora short distance the boundary between Honduras and San Salvador, receives the outflow from Lake Guixar, thence crosses San Salvador in a southern direction, and falls into the Pacific a little to the westward of the Bay of Jiquilisco. It is a deep but rapid stream, and the bar at its mouth prevents vessels of even moderate 'burden from entering it. The other larger streams are the Rio do Paz, at the western extre mity of the republic ; the Jiboa, which falls into the sea between the Lempa and Port Libertad ; and the Simms, or San Miguel, all of which have their mouths obstructed by sand-bars. There are two
lakes of some size in the state. The Lake of Guixar, near the north western boundary of the state, has a circuit of about 80 miles, and is one of the principal feeders of the Rio Lempa. It is said to commu nicate by a subterranean channel with the much smaller Lake of Metapa. Lake Ylopango, about 6 miles E. from the city of San Salvador, is about 9 miles long and 3 miles wide : its only outlet is a small tributary of the Jiboa. Mineral- and thermal-springs occur very numerously in various parts of the country.
Owing to the great inequality of surface, there is considerable variety of climate : as a whole, it is warmer than in Guatemala ; but it is generally regarded as healthy. The hottest and least healthy part is the low tract along the coast. San Salvador has great agricul tural capabilities. The soil is generally good, and in some parts remarkably rich, and the climate permits a considerable variety of crops to be profitably cultivated. The inhabitants are an industrious race, and more skilful agriculturists than the natives of other parts of Central America. Nearly all the available land in the country is appropriated to individuals, and much attention has been paid to its cultivation, though now, from the long continuauce of civil dissension, agriculture is in a very neglected condition. Maize is cultivated to a considerable extent; wheat succeeds well only in a few places; several varieties of frixoles, and most of the usual vegetables, are raised for the ordinary food of the people. Oranges, lemons, pine-apples, plan tains, and various fruits are extensively grown ; sugar, cacao, coffee, tobacco, and cotton succeed very well, and might, were the country in a more settled state, be raised largely for exportation. Since the gold discoveries in California, a very large quantity of sugar has been grown iu the neighbourhood of Sonsonate, chiefly for the purpose of distilling rum for the Californian market. Indigo has however always been the chief source of wealth to San Salvador. During the Spanish supre macy, upwards of 1,800,000 lbs. are said to have been annually exported, and though the quantity raised has greatly fallen off, it is still considerable. The coast west of Point Libertad is commonly known as the Balsam Coast, it being the only place where the article known as the Balsam of Peru is collected. This part of the coast is in the possession of the Indians, who live iu five villages, have their own chiefs, with a kind of municipal government, and subsist chiefly on the produce of the balsam, which they collect to the amount of about 15,000 to 20,0001bs. annually and dispose of in Sousonate. They also cut and carry to Sonsonate a considerable quantity of cedar-trees. There are large forests on the slopes of the mountains of the interior.