San Salvador

1 Pages 288 Words

San Salvador, which is the capital of the Central American country El Salvador, was founded in 1525. A few years later, the city was moved to it’s present location in a valley near a volcano. The population density is very high, for there are almost 1.5 million people in this small city. Many people in the city live in small apartments with their families, in old, decaying buildings. Overpopulation and crime are among the major problems, as well as an unstable government. The government of El Salvador’s constitution was just adopted in 1991. The president is elected every five years, and a new president, Francisco Flores Perez was elected in 1999. Some of the major industries in San Salvador are chemicals, processed food, and textiles. It is also a major agricultural distribution center for El Salvador. The Pan American Highway links San Salvador to other major cities in Central America, as well as the United States. In recent years there has been civil war, as well as border disputes with neighboring countries, including Honduras, a dispute which was just settled recently. Much of the civil war in the country has faced family member against family member, causing many problems, such as homelessness, many orphans, and an increasing number of slums surrounding the city. It is estimated that only half of the men and women living together in El Salvador are married, causing instability in family life in the cities and slums. While the literacy rate remains relatively high- most adults can read and write- the education system is poor. It is believed more than half of elementary age children have no school to attend....