El Salvador

A

Ethnic Groups

El Salvador was home to Native Americans 3,000 years before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1524. Inhabited by early Maya peoples, it was later settled by Nahuatl people from Mexico. The country’s mestizo majority has its roots in these ethnic groups, but the tiny elite class that arose with the development of the coffee industry in the 19th century became increasingly more Caucasian because of immigration and marriage with Europeans and North Americans. This Europeanization of the elite class over the past century sets it apart somewhat from the dominant mestizo character of the middle and lower classes.

Cultural characteristics—language, dress, and customs—have been more important than ethnic background in differentiating mestizo from indigenous populations in El Salvador. Although some Native American communities have survived in the country, most of them have adopted European ways as a result of the systematic repression of native people, especially after an uprising in 1932. Estimates of the Native American population range from the official 1992 government census figure of 5 percent to a figure of 10 percent, suggested by anthropological research.

B

Language

The official language of El Salvador is Spanish, although a few Native Americans continue to speak indigenous languages (Lenca, Pipil, or Kekchí). Salvadorans in business, government, and academic positions often know English.

C

Religion

The country is traditionally Roman Catholic, and 91 percent of the population is Catholic. Evangelical Protestant groups have grown rapidly in recent years, and Protestants now number an estimated 8 percent of the population.

---

---

The Catholic clergy traditionally played important roles in political and economic affairs until liberal reforms in the late 19th century led to separation of church and state and to a reduced role for the church. During the past 25 years, however, the “theology of liberation,” which emphasizes social and economic justice for the poor, became a major force in Salvadoran Catholicism. Both foreign and native clergy worked to involve the urban and rural poor in political efforts to protect their rights and improve their lives. Catholic archbishops often were mediators between the state and guerrilla forces in the recent civil war. The newer, Protestant sects, on the other hand, have been more conservative politically and less involved directly in the political turmoil. However, there is a small Unity Movement political party based among the Evangelicals.

D

Education

Salvadoran law mandates free, compulsory elementary public schools through the 9th grade. Education through the 12th grade is available, and students completing 12 grades receive the bachillerato degree (high school diploma). However, enforcement is often lax, especially in rural areas and in urban slums, and the civil war of the 1980s damaged educational programs. El Salvador has about 3,200 primary and secondary schools with a total enrollment of 1.3 million students. But only slightly more than half of the school-age children actually attend school, and only a third finish the 9th grade. According to a 2005 estimate for people over age 15, the literacy rate was 81 percent—84 percent for men and 78.9 percent for women.

The national university is the University of El Salvador (1841), and the second-largest university is the Jesuit-run Central American University of José Simeón Cañas (1965). Both suffered from the political turmoil of the 1980s, and the government closed the national university for much of that decade because it was a center of leftist activity. The Central American University also closed for brief periods. The University of Don Bosco is located in Soyapango, a suburb of San Salvador, and run by the Salesians, a Catholic religious society. Because of closures at the major universities, many small, private colleges and universities opened during the civil war, and more have opened since. Some 115,000 students are enrolled in institutions of higher education, with more than two-thirds attending private schools. Education in public schools is free.

E

Way of Life

There is a substantial contrast between urban and rural life in El Salvador. San Salvador is a modern city, influenced by the culture of the United States and Western Europe, while rural areas and provincial towns practice more traditional Hispanic customs, including folk music and dancing. Family life is important in both areas, however, and extended family relationships play an important role in economic and political affairs; distant relatives and in-laws often use influence to help Salvadorans gain jobs, favors, and opportunities. Life was severely disrupted during the past two decades by political turmoil and civil war, which forced many families to flee from their homes to other parts of the country or to foreign nations.

Soccer is the most popular sport in El Salvador, where thousands of fans watch competitions by schools, amateur leagues, and professional teams. In the capital, Cuscatlán Stadium and the Flor Blanca National Stadium hold 80,000 and 35,000 spectators, respectively. Other large soccer stadiums are in Santa Ana, San Miguel, Zacatecoluca, and San Vicente. Many other sports, including basketball, baseball, boxing, volleyball, tennis, swimming, and surfing, also are popular in the country, as is automobile racing. The modern Formula One auto racecourse at El Jabalí, 30 km (20 mi) from San Salvador, accommodates 100,000 spectators.

	More from Encarta
	•  7 tips for funding an online degree •  How to succeed in the fashion industry without being a top designer •  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain