Essay About: El Salvador

📌Category: World
📌Words: 1084
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 15 January 2022

El Salvador, officially known as the Republic of El Salvador, is the smallest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras and Guatemala. The country’s mild tropical climate and lush landscapes have made the location a popular tourist destination. Characterized with a dense population, interesting politics, rich culture and traditional customs has made El Salvador an intriguing country to learn about. This country, riddled with increasingly high crime rates and extremely low economic growth has plenty of room to grow! 

El Salvador contains 350 rivers within its 8,260 square miles. The country is 90% volcanic in origin which makes the terrain rough and irregular. The two volcanic mountain ranges split the country into three general regions known as the narrow Pacific coastal belt, central plateau and the northern lowlands according to research done by Country Reports. Each of three geographic zones have climate characteristics specific to the land: the narrow coastal belt is hot with lush vegetation, the central highlands are slightly cooler and the lowlands are consistently cool. The country is considered to have a highly dense population with 6.7 million people. The people of this country are 86.3% mestizo, people of mixed indigenous Indian and European ancestry, 12.7% white and 1% other (Flemion 8). Spanish is the official language of the country however, there are some other languages spoken by Salvadorans including Nahaut, Cacaopera, Lenca, Pipil and El Salvadoran sign language. 

“The constitution provides for a representative government with three independent branches: executive, legislative and judicial. The president is popularly elected and must receive a majority of the vote” (Countries and their Cultures 33). The current president of El Salvador is Nayib Bukele. The president is 39 years old and is said to not fit the already established political parties established in the country. “Since he took office two years ago on a pledge to fight gangs, squash corruption and break with the country’s entrenched political parties, Bukele’s approval ratings have hovered around 90%, practically unheard of in politics” (Kate Linthicum 4). As one of the world's most popular leaders he has made a stance to veer away from some of the more traditional and older views the country has held to begin a “new history” according to Bukele. 

According to The World Bank, El Salvador has one of the lowest levels of growth in their economy. It is estimated that 4/10 people who reside in the country live in poverty (Children of El Salvador 2019). The country’s official currency, as of 2001, is the United States Dollar, adopted in hopes of boosting the economy. The dollar has better stability than the previous form of currency, the colon. The country cannot legally print the currency so they have begun a campaign to help Saladorans get educated in the English language to better understand the bills. Education in El Salvador is free through the ninth grade; However, only 82% of children make it this far in their education and 6% of children in the country never attend school at all according to statistics from Stanford. It is considered mandatory for children to attend school from the ages of 7-15 which is known as basic primary education. After this, only 30% of students will go on to attend middle secondary education which is basic course work to prepare for college. Adult literacy is 73% for women and 79% for men. 

El Salvador has cultures derived from the mestizos and the Spanish settlers, making it one of the least diverse countries in Central America. The country is largely influenced by the Catholic church establishing many of its most famous role models such as Archbishop Oscar Romero (Culture 8). Another Latin root that is strong in El Salvador is it’s soccer affiliation. The country is home to some of the most amazing surfing beaches and their surfers compete in international competitions. Salvadorans love to dance and have a vibrant rock scene with many local bands. Hip hop has exploded in popularity as its people bring back music from the United States. Furthermore there is a popular folk music scene however, unlike other Central American countries music genres like reggae and reggaeton are not popular. The food in El Salvador, like the rest of the Central American countries, is based on a hybrid of native, corn based fare, and European influence (Culture 17). Pupusas are one of the most popular dishes of the country which are corn tortillas that are stuffed with pork, cheese and beans. Staple drinks include coffee, Pilsener and Suprema beer and Tick Tack liquor. 

Public holidays in El Salvador include, but are not limited to,  New Years Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Labour Day, Fiestas Agostinas, Independence Day, All Soul’s Day, Christmas Day, Easter, Day of the Dead and New Year’s Eve. Día de Independencia, or Independence Day, is celebrated with parades, fireworks and lots of food annually on September 15th. Holy Week includes a religious festival known as Semana Santa which is characterized by carnavals, street parades, and performance art. Labor Day is the cause for parades and protests for labor issues. Day of the Dead is used to celebrate those who have passed on by visiting the graves of loved ones and laying wreaths and flowers. Christmas day is the biggest holiday of the year while people host large dinners and enjoy fireworks. Its typical for Salvadorans to travel long distances in order to spend the holidays with their family. 

Customs, or traditional ways of behaving, are very traditional in nature in El Salvador. For example, “Respect is due to older people from younger people. And to higher-status personas from lower-status individuals” (Counties and their Cultures 51). Women are expected to respect men and greetings are necessary upon entering a store or passing someone on the street. Marriage in the country is quite different than it is here in the United States. The most common form of marriage is informal in which the couple set up a household and have children and does not require the recognition of a civil or church service. A marriage that is performed in a civil or church service is considered irreversible and typically does not happen unless the couple already has children and are above the age of 18. Along with being recognized for traditional customs, Salvadorans are thought to be very kind and willing to go out of their way to others (Jacques 1). 

El Salvador is a beautiful country, characterized by its beautiful landscapes and warm climate. Known for its traditional customs and culture, its families are close and its communities are kind. As its economic growth stagnates, its political climate continues to progress to modernized policies. Salvadorans take pride in their rich history and great culture. The food, festivals and rich natural beauty makes the country a beautiful palace to explore and an intriguing place to learn about. I think this country could greatly benefit from their current president and continue to adopt new policies to better their economy and lower their crime rate. By doing this, it will create a better life and increase education for children.

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