El Salvador, Cool Facts #16

15. Dominican Republic <=                                                                                        => 17. Honduras

1. Land of the Pipil indians

In 1525 Pedro de Alvarado's Spanish troops established the city of San Salvador. They gradually occupied the land of the Pipil indians which was then attached to the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Gold was searched in the area but never found, but cocoa, indigo-dye and coffee were the products produced there instead.

2. Inequal society 

It is said that 6 families own as much as 80% of the peasants. It's rumored that 14 families "los catorce" control the whole economy and politics of the country. 518 families earn 10,000$ a month or more while 3,5 million people of the 6 million people population live with 1$ a day or less.

3. Unstability 

During El Salvador's independence there has been 116 rulers in the country until the year 2012. There has been a lot of coups, civil wars and wars against neighbours.

4. Freemason symbols and other symbolism in the Salvadoran flag

Freemason triangle: represents liberty, fraternity and equality.
The red phrygian cap:  represents freedom. The phrygian cap became a symbol of revolution in the French revolution.
Rainbow: peace
Sun: hope
The 14 leafclusters: 14 counties of the country

The flags of El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras all derive from the ancient flag of the Federal Republic of Central America.

5. Football War against Honduras

The cause of the war was economic and the poor conditions of Salvadorans in Honduras and not in football. The qualification round between El Salvador and Honduras just escalated the tension to the point where Salvadoran air forces started attacking Honduras. The war lasted only 100 hours and Honduras won it. As a result more than 130,000 Salvadorans were expelled from Honduras.

El Salvador is famous for: 

Coffee
Volcanoes
Surfing
Beaches

Timeline

1525 Troops led by Pedro de Alvarado establish San Salvador. Gradually the Spanish conquer the land of the Pipil-indians. The area is attached to the Captaincy General of Guatemala.
1822 Mexican troops occupy the country
1823 The Federal Republic of Central America is establish with Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
1831 San Salvador becomes the capital of the Federation.
1838-40 Civil War and the collapse of the Federation.
1865 Fransisco Duenas writes a new constitution. El Salvador uses the flag of USA with opposite colors as their new flag.
1912 New flag in the presidency term of Manuel Enrique Araujo.
1913 Araujo gets assassinated.
1931 Coup with Maximillian Hernandez Martinez.
1969 Football War with Honduras.
1980 Arch bishop Oscar Romero gets assassinated..
1979-1992 Salvadoran Civil War. Over 75.000 died in the war.
1992 Peace with the help of UN.
1994 Presidential elections under international supervision.
2009 FMLN wins the presidential elections, the former guerrilla party.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador
Maailman liput maat ja histora - Kimmo Kiljunen
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/21/news/mn-15299