San Salvador
57631
226162731
2008-07-17T02:48:34Z
67.81.135.49
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{{Infobox Settlement
<!-- Basic info ---------------->
|official_name = San Salvador
|other_name = "El Valle de las Hamacas"
|native_name = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname = San Sivar
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|image_caption = San Salvador downtown
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|image_seal = Escudo_San_Salvador.jpg
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|subdivision_type = [[Country]]
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|subdivision_type2 = [[Departments of El Salvador|Department]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[San Salvador Department|San Salvador]]
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|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = [[Violeta Menjívar]]
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|established_title = Established
|established_date = 1525
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|area_magnitude = 1 E8
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|area_total_km2 = 72.27
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|area_metro_km2 = 220
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|population_as_of =2007
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|population_metro = 1,566,629
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|website = http://www.amss.gob.sv/
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'''San Salvador''' is the [[capital]] and largest city of the nation of [[El Salvador]]. The second most populous city in [[Central America]], after [[Guatemala City]], and the metro covers an area of 568 km² (220 sq. mi.) and is home to nearly 1.6 million people.<ref>"Resultados Oficiales de los Censos Nacionales VI de Población y V de Vivienda 2007", [http://sig.censos.gob.sv/outdescargas/Resultados%20VI%20Censo%20de%20Población%20V%20de%20Vivienda%202007.pdf]</ref> Home to one-half of El Salvador's wealth, the city's per capita GDP - PPP is approximately [[United States dollar|USD]]11,200, compared to a national average of [[United States dollar|USD]]5,260 (2002).<ref>Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano El Salvador 2003, [http://hdr.undp.org/docs/reports/national/ELS_El_Salvador/El_Salvador_2003_sp.pdf]</ref>
==History==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:6743039b.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Salvador del mundo in the 1950's]] -->The origins of the city can be traced to before the Spanish Conquest. It is near the present location of San Salvador that the [[Pipil]] groups, established their capital, [[Cuscatlán]]. Not very much is known about this city, since it was abandoned by its inhabitants in an effort to avoid Spanish rule.
Although the city was founded on April 1, 1525, in the sixteenth century, it was rebuilt and changed locations twice afterwards 1528 and 1545. Originally founded in what is now the archaeological site Ciudad Vieja, north of the present-day city, it was moved to the Valle de Las Hamacas or the Acelhuate Valley, named so due to the intense seismic activity that characterizes it, which boasted more space and more fertile land, thanks to the pristine and now extremely [[polluted]] Acelhuate River. As the population of the country remained relatively small up until the early twentieth century, the city grew slowly.
==Geography==
The city's altitude averages 560 meters above sea level located, on a valley on the skirts of the [[Quezaltepec]] volcano or San Salvador. In fact, the valley got its nickname from the Spaniards who called the area'''"El Valle de las Hamacas"''' (''The Valley of the Hammocks'') due to its constant seismic activity.<ref>http://www.alfatravelguide.com/english/sv/san-salvador.asp</ref>
==Climate==
San Salvador is mainly hot, the coldest months being November, December, January, and February. The temperature is very different at midday than midnight, the factors being the humidity levels, which vary as the day passes. The highest reading ever recorded in San Salvador is 38.5 degrees Celsius, the lowest being 8.2 degrees Celsius. The highest dew point is 27 and the lowest -10, both on the Celsius scale. San Salvador has two seasons: rainy and dry. October, November, December, January, February and March being the dry seasons, and April, May, June, July, August and September the rainy.
[[Image:San Salvador From Space.jpg|thumb|right|150px|San Salvador from space, January 1997]]
==Demographics==
{| style="float:right; margin:0 0 0 1em; text-size:80%; text-align:right"
| valign="top" style=|
{| class="navbox"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Years
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
| [[1900]] || align="right" | 138.200
|-
| [[1910]] || align="right" | 178.200
|-
| [[1920]] || align="right" | 205.000
|-
| [[1930]] || align="right" | 191.100
|-
| [[1940]] || align="right" | 222.500
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="navbox"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Years
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
| [[1950]] || align="right" | 296.000
|-
| [[1960]] || align="right" | 475.300
|-
| [[1970]] || align="right" | 731.000
|-
| [[1980]] || align="right" | 979.700
|-
| [[1990]] || align="right" | 1.500.000
|}
|}
Approximately 89% of the population is [[mestizo]] (mix of Indigenous and European ancestry), 9% is [[Europe]]an, and the rest is Indigenous and other small ethnic groups, including [[Han Chinese|Chinese]], [[Jewish]] and [[Arabs]].
==Transportation==
[[Image:Rd to SS.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Road to San Salvador, Leaving from Apopa. Vertical road leads to [[Quezaltepeque, La Libertad|Quezaltepeque]]. Volcano of [[San Salvador]] is seen in the distance. ]]
===Airport===
San Salvador was first served by [[Ilopango International Airport]], but in January 31, 1980, Ilopango was substituted by the bigger [[Comalapa International Airport]] which took all the International flights.
===Roads===
[[Image:Volcano San Salvador 1960.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Boulevard de Los Próceres]]
The city offers the widest boulevards in Central America and is served by a railroad that connects to other cities such as [[Soyapango]] and [[Apopa]].
==Social issues==
===Crime===
The security situation has taken a downturn in San Salvador within the last five years. In 2002 there were 162 intentional homicides in the city of San Salvador. This increased sharply over the next three years to 465, with a slight decrease during 2006 to 456.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elfaro.net/secciones/Noticias/20061211/homicidios2006.swf |title=La evolución de los homicidios |accessdate=2008-06-20 |publisher=ELFARO |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ocavi.com/docs_files/file_401.pdf |title=Homicidios en siete municipios altamente poblados en El Salvador |accessdate=2008-06-20 |format=PDF |publisher=OCAVI |language=Spanish}}</ref>
===Pollution===
[[Pollution]] remains one of the city's biggest problems. Located in a valley, San Salvador is a perfect pollution trap. Fueling this, the city struggles with an increasing traffic problem. New highways and arterial roads offer some relief. According to a study by the [[United Nations]], El Salvador was the second [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions|worst polluter]] of [[carbon dioxide emissions]] in Central America.
==Disasters==
[[Image:ElSalvadorslide.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A [[landslide]] caused by one of the [[2001 El Salvador earthquakes]].]]
The city has suffered from severe [[earthquake]]s over the years, the most disastrous of which occurred in 1854. Also worthy of mentioning is the 1917 eruption of the San Salvador volcano, which resulted in three major earthquakes and damaged the city so extensively that the government was forced to move the capital to the present-day city of Santa Tecla, then named Nueva San Salvador. The most recent earthquake, in 2001, resulted in considerable damage, especially in Las Colinas suburb where a landslide destroyed homes and killed many people. During the 1980s, conflicts in El Salvador erupted into a civil war, and many people fled to the city since most of the fighting occurred outside of it (San Salvador itself was not directly affected by the war until the final offensive of 1989).
==Landmarks==
*[[Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador|Catedral Metropolitana]], Metropolitan Cathedral
*[[Teatro Nacional de El Salvador]], the National Theatre of El Salvador
*[[National Palace (El Salvador)|Palacio Nacional]], the National Palace
*Monumento al [[Salvador del Mundo]], Monument to the [[Jesus|Savior]] of the World
*[[Casa Presidencial (El Salvador)|Casa Presidencial]], the Presidential Mansion
*Monumento a La Libertad, Monument to Liberty
*[[Torre Cuscatlan]], a city landmark owned by [[Banco Cuscatlán]].
==Gallery of San Salvador==
<center><gallery>
Image:Great_San_Salvador.JPG|''Great San Salvador, seen from [[Quetzaltepec]] volcano''
Image:North_San_Salvador.JPG|''Northwest San Salvador''
Image:NationalcathedralES.jpg|''The new Metropolitan Cathedral''
Image:Salvadordelmundo.jpg|''Monumento al Salvador del Mundo (Monument to the Savior of the World)''
Image:Revolution_Monument_San_Salvador.JPG|''Monument to Revolution''
Image:Nattheatre.jpg|''National Theatre in San Salvador downtown''
Image:Five_Star_Hotel_San_Salvador.JPG|''Five star Hilton Hotel in zona rosa''
Image:Office_Buildings_San_Salvador.JPG|''Office buildings near to el Salvador del Mundo''
</gallery>
</center>
==Sister Cities==
*[[Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg|20px]] [[Guatemala City]], [[Guatemala]]
*[[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]
*[[Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg|20px]] [[Managua]], [[Nicaragua]]
*[[Image:Flag of Mexico.svg|20px]] [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]]
*[[Image:Flag of Honduras.svg|20px]] [[San Pedro Sula]], [[Honduras]]
*[[Image:Flag of Taiwan.svg|20px]] [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]
==References==
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==External links==
*[http://www.amss.gob.sv/ Municipality of the city of San Salvador]
*{{wikitravel}}
*[http://www.4elsalvador.com/el%20salvador%20san%20salvador.htm San Salvador city tour. El Salvador en Imágenes]
*[http://www.medicosdeelsalvador.com Medical and health information in San Salvador]
{{North American capitals}}
[[Category:Capitals in North America]]
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages in El Salvador]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1525]]
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