[el sal-vuh-dawr; Sp. el sahl-vah-th
awr] 
| a republic in NW Central America. 5,661,827; 13,176 sq. mi. (34,125 sq. km). Capital: San Salvador. |
El Sal·va·dor (sāl'və-dôr', säl'vä-dôr')  (click for larger image in new window) A country of Central America bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Conquered by Spain in 1524, the region gained its independence in 1821, joined (1825-1838) a federation of Central American states, and became a separate republic in 1839. The country was ruled by a series of military governments from 1931 to 1979 and was embroiled in a civil war from 1980 to 1992. San Salvador is the capital and the largest city. Population: 6,950,000. El Sal'va·dor'i·an (sāl'və-dôr'ē-ən, -dōr'-) adj. & n. |
Republic on the Pacific coast of Central America, bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the north and east by Honduras, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. San Salvador is its capital and largest city.
Note: Torn by civil unrest and characterized by guerrilla warfare and terrorism (which has included the murder of American civilians), El Salvador became in the 1980s a controversial focus of an American foreign policy that sought to protect American interests in Central America. Unrest eased in the 1990s.