The Land and Climate of El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America at 21,041 square kilometres. It is just smaller than the state of Massachusetts and is a brilliantly mountainous country.
It is sometimes called The Land of Volcanoes because it has more than 200 extinct volcanoes. The two major mountain ranges are the Coastal Range and the Sierra Madre which travel across the country from East to West. El Salvador has many high mountain peaks that range from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. It`s highest peak is the Santa Ana volcano at 2,365 metres. The volcanoes are a fabulous source of rich and fertile soil that is perfect for farming. San Salvador, the capital of the country, is located at the bottom of a volcano, along with many other towns and cities. Deep lakes can be found in volcano craters while rivers such as Rio Lempa, the country’s largest, flow down from the mountains. An earthquake is not uncommon to Salvadorans due to the tectonic activity that goes on beneath their feet.
A central plateau is found between the mountain ranges and is at an average elevation of 610 metres. This plateau is the most vast and most populated part of El Salvador, being the location of San Salvador and other cities. The land is covered mostly in plantations and subtropical grasses.
Most of El Salvador’s rural areas have been converted into farmland but in some mountain areas and throughout the central plains and valleys, many different types of trees can be found. In the mountain areas patches of pine and oak forests can be seen. In the central plains and valleys one would come across an abundance of balsam, cedar and mahogany trees. Many fruit trees such as mango, melon, tamarind, coconut and orange are commonly encountered, mostly in the south, along with bananas and sugarcane. One finds animal species in El Salvador that include monkeys, boa constrictors, coyotes, jaguars, iguanas and pumas. The beautiful trees and the habitats of many of the native animal populations have been very much affected by the on-going deforestation in El Salvador. Only two percent of virgin forests remain and ecosystems have been demolished
The country of El Salvador truly only has two seasons. One is a dry, summer season that lasts from the month of October to the month of April. The other is a wet winter season that lasts from the month of May to the month of September. During this wet winter season it rains almost every day. The average temperature in the capital of El Salvador is around 30 degrees Celsius during the day and 22 degrees Celsius at night. Mostly the climate differs in regards to elevation. In the mountain areas, temperate weather is experienced. The lowlands experience a tropical climate and the plateau experiences a semi-tropical climate.
It is sometimes called The Land of Volcanoes because it has more than 200 extinct volcanoes. The two major mountain ranges are the Coastal Range and the Sierra Madre which travel across the country from East to West. El Salvador has many high mountain peaks that range from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. It`s highest peak is the Santa Ana volcano at 2,365 metres. The volcanoes are a fabulous source of rich and fertile soil that is perfect for farming. San Salvador, the capital of the country, is located at the bottom of a volcano, along with many other towns and cities. Deep lakes can be found in volcano craters while rivers such as Rio Lempa, the country’s largest, flow down from the mountains. An earthquake is not uncommon to Salvadorans due to the tectonic activity that goes on beneath their feet.
A central plateau is found between the mountain ranges and is at an average elevation of 610 metres. This plateau is the most vast and most populated part of El Salvador, being the location of San Salvador and other cities. The land is covered mostly in plantations and subtropical grasses.
Most of El Salvador’s rural areas have been converted into farmland but in some mountain areas and throughout the central plains and valleys, many different types of trees can be found. In the mountain areas patches of pine and oak forests can be seen. In the central plains and valleys one would come across an abundance of balsam, cedar and mahogany trees. Many fruit trees such as mango, melon, tamarind, coconut and orange are commonly encountered, mostly in the south, along with bananas and sugarcane. One finds animal species in El Salvador that include monkeys, boa constrictors, coyotes, jaguars, iguanas and pumas. The beautiful trees and the habitats of many of the native animal populations have been very much affected by the on-going deforestation in El Salvador. Only two percent of virgin forests remain and ecosystems have been demolished
The country of El Salvador truly only has two seasons. One is a dry, summer season that lasts from the month of October to the month of April. The other is a wet winter season that lasts from the month of May to the month of September. During this wet winter season it rains almost every day. The average temperature in the capital of El Salvador is around 30 degrees Celsius during the day and 22 degrees Celsius at night. Mostly the climate differs in regards to elevation. In the mountain areas, temperate weather is experienced. The lowlands experience a tropical climate and the plateau experiences a semi-tropical climate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05IOCi1zV0k&feature=related
Video of Volcano eruption in Santa Ana
Video of Volcano eruption in Santa Ana
San Salvador Climograph
| el_salvador_climo.doc |
