El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, smaller than the state of Massachusetts and it is the only one without an Atlantic coastline. This mountainous country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, and Honduras. As of 2015, the country had a population of approximately 7 million. About 90 percent of Salvadorans are mestizo and 9 percent claim Spanish descent. Spanish is the official language but Nahuatl is still spoken in some regions. El Salvador’s capital and largest city is San Salvador. About half of all Salvadorans live in the countryside and about three million Salvadorans live in the United States.
It has the third largest economy in Central America (behind Costa Rica and Panama). Tourism is the fastest growing sector of the Salvadoran economy. El Salvador has over twenty volcanoes, two of them, San Miguel and Izalco, active in recent years and over 300 rivers, the most important of which is the Rio Lempa. El Salvador is also known for its Pacific Ocean beaches, surf spots and mountainous landscape. Its Ruta de Las Flores is a winding route past coffee farms, rainforests with waterfalls and towns like Juayúa, with its weekend food festival, plus Ataco, home to vivid murals. El Salvador has a Tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit this country would be at the beginning or end of the dry season. Salvadorans are extremely friendly, warm and hospitable.