Location: Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Currency: 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos

Population: 5,839,079

Natural Hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity

Import: raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels

Export: coffee, sugar; shrimp; textiles

Industries: food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 602 km (single track; note—some sections abandoned, unusable, or
operating at reduced capacity)
narrow gauge: 602 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 10,029 km
paved: 1,986 km (including 327 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,043 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable

Ports & Harbors: Acajutla, Puerto Cutuco, La Libertad, La Union, Puerto El Triunfo

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico

Language: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Currency: 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos

Population: 12,335,580

Natural Hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms

Import: fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles

Export: coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamom, petroleum

Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 884 km (102 km privately owned)
narrow gauge: 884 km 0.914-m gauge (single track)

Highways:
total: 13,100 km
paved: 3,616 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,484 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season

Ports & Harbors: Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Language: Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Currency: 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos

Population: 5,997,327

Natural Hazards: frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast

Import: machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw
materials, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs

Export: bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, meat, lumber

Industries: sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Transportation:
Railways:
total: 595 km
narrow gauge: 190 km 1.067-m gauge; 128 km 1.057-m gauge; 277 km 0.914-m
gauge

Highways:
total: 14,173 km
paved: 3,126 km
unpaved: 11,047 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft

Ports & Harbors: La Ceiba, Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela, Puerto Lempira