San Juan Opico (or Opico ) is a municipality in the La Libertad department of El Salvador .
95-426: It is located 42 kilometers from San Salvador , capital of the country. The municipality has an area of 218 km and a population of 74,280 inhabitants; according to the 2007 census it is ranked No. 13 in population. Within its territory are pre-Columbian archaeological sites like Joya de Cerén and San Andrés and a church built in the colonial era. Opico was established as an Indian village in 1572 and received
190-457: A tropical wet and dry climate under the Köppen climate classification , and enjoys very warm to hot weather all year round, with daily mean temperatures of 27 °C or 80.6 °F. Its average elevation of 658 meters (2,159 feet) causes the city to experience slightly cooler temperatures in the mornings, higher solar radiation, and greater diurnal air temperature variation (particularly during
285-620: A District board. There are seven districts in San Salvador, Districts 1–6 and the Historic Downtown. The six districts: Total population in all six districts: 567,788 The city is located in the Boquerón Volcano Valley, a region of high seismic activity. The city's average elevation is 659 meters (2,162 feet) above sea level , but ranges from a highest point of 1,186 meters (3,891 feet) above sea level to
380-830: A direct ocean route from the Cape of Good Hope to the Sunda Strait in Indonesia . People from the Neolithic period traded in spices , obsidian , sea shells , precious stones and other high-value materials as early as the 10th millennium BC. The first to mention the trade in historical periods are the Egyptians . In the 3rd millennium BC, they traded with the Land of Punt , which is believed to have been situated in an area encompassing northern Somalia , Djibouti , Eritrea and
475-618: A kind not found elsewhere in Latin America. The Metropolitan Cathedral was built in the 1950s combining Baroque and eclectic styles of architecture. The National palace, built in 1905, is a mix of Gothic , Neoclassical , and Renaissance Revival architecture. The National Theater is the oldest theater in Central America, being built in 1917 in the French Renaissance Revival style with details in
570-922: A lowest point of 596 m (1,955 ft) above sea level. The municipality is surrounded by these natural features of the landscape: the Acelhuate River on the east, the San Jacinto Hill on the south east, El Picacho Mountain and the Bicentennial Park on the West, North by the San Antonio River, southward by the Cordillera del Balsamo (Balsam Mountain Range); westward by the Boquerón Volcano and Cerro El Picacho ,
665-553: A monopoly on European trade with the Middle East. The silk and spice trade, involving spices , incense , herbs , drugs and opium , made these Mediterranean city-states extremely wealthy. Spices were among the most expensive and in-demand products of the Middle Ages, used in medicine as well as in the kitchen. They were all imported from Asia and Africa. Venetian and other navigators of maritime republics then distributed
760-742: A population of 1,600,000 inhabitants. The city is home to the Consejo de Ministros de El Salvador (Council of Ministries of El Salvador), the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador , the Supreme Court of El Salvador , and other governmental institutions, as well as the official residence of the President of El Salvador . San Salvador is located in the Salvadoran highlands, surrounded by volcanoes and prone to earthquakes. The city
855-494: A result of a contest launched in 1943. The shield (designed by the painter José Mejía Vides ) is divided into four quadrants: the two quadrants at the top right and bottom left have blue and white fields symbolizing the national flag; the top left quadrant displays a symbolic emerald necklace; and the lower right contains the bell of the Church of La Merced, representing the 1811 Independence Movement , when José Matías Delgado rang
950-405: A total of 13,000 m (139,931 sq ft) of office space. Since their completion, the first two towers have maintained a 100% occupancy rate with multinational companies, embassies, and firms such as Banco Multisectorial de Inversiones (BMI), Ericsson, Continental Airlines, Microsoft, Inter-American Development Bank, and Banco Promérica maintaining offices there. Centro Financiero Gigante
1045-427: A water source for San Salvador during the late 1800s and early 1900s, but due to urbanization is now polluted. There are small streams running down from Lake Ilopango, and a few old aqueduct systems, but the municipality itself has no major bodies of water. Lake Ilopango , although not located in the municipality, is the closest large body of water, being only minutes away from the San Salvador historic center. The lake
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#17327756174411140-468: Is a complex of office buildings consisting of five towers, the highest of which is 77 meters (253 feet) tall and has 19 floors. It is a phased project which began with the construction of the two towers. After several years the number of buildings has increased, and it has become one of the most significant business complexes in San Salvador. The tallest tower is occupied by the Telefónica phone company,
1235-466: Is a record from Tamil texts of Greeks purchasing large sacks of black pepper from India, and many recipes in the 1st-century Roman cookbook Apicius make use of the spice. The trade in spices lessened after the fall of the Roman Empire , but demand for ginger , black pepper, cloves , cinnamon and nutmeg revived the trade in later centuries. Rome played a part in the spice trade during
1330-702: Is also home to about 3,500 Jews; the Jewish community is still robust, but less so since the 1980s, as a large number of them left with the start of the Salvadoran Civil War. Many Jews had migrated to El Salvador during World War II due to the work of José Castellanos Contreras , the Salvadoran diplomatic Consul General in Geneva, Switzerland , who helped a Jewish-Hungarian businessman named Gyorgy Mandl save up to 40,000 Jews in Central Europe from
1425-407: Is also home to regional offices for transnational entities. Unicomer Group , Almacenes Simán , Grupo Roble, Grupo Real, Excel Automotríz, and Grupo Q all have their central offices in San Salvador. Since the early 2010s there has been a boom in the construction of call centers providing services to national and international companies alike. San Salvador lacks a consolidated financial district; this
1520-603: Is also home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador , as well as many Protestant branches of Christianity, including Evangelicals , Baptists , and Pentecostals , and the restorationist Christian sect the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . San Salvador has been the host city for regional and international sporting, political, and social events. It hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1935, 2002, and in 2023 and
1615-512: Is also the largest natural body of water in the country, with an area of 72 km (28 sq mi). The Cerrón Grande Reservoir, 78 km (48 mi) north of San Salvador, was formed by damming the Lempa River in the municipalities of Potonico, (Chalatenango) and Jutiapa (Cabañas). The Cerrón Grande Dam provides a substantial portion of the region's electricity . Spanish is the language spoken by virtually all inhabitants. English
1710-533: Is governed by a council consisting of a mayor (elected by direct vote every three years, with an option to be re-elected), a trustee and two or more aldermen whose number varies in proportion to the population of the municipality. The functions and powers of this government are framed within the rules of the Municipal Code. San Salvador's government is composed of departments, including the departments of festivals, parks, cemeteries, and finance. To safeguard
1805-662: Is mainly due to the lack of urban planning that has plagued the city since the aftermath of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992. Some clusters have formed, however, in an organic manner; today most of the banking and telecommunications are concentrated along the Alameda Manuel Enrique Araujo in District Two. Business complexes and towers have sprouted in the commercial districts of Colonia Escalón and Colonia San Benito , both in District Three of
1900-831: Is mostly Evangelical. One of the largest Protestant churches in the city is the Iglesia Cristiana Josue (from the Assemblies of God ), another is the Tabernaculo Biblico Bautista, Amigos de Israel (Bible Baptist Tabernacle, Friends of Israel). There are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which opened the San Salvador El Salvador Temple in 2011. There are also smaller Latter-day Saints chapels in Districts 1 and 3. As in most of
1995-609: Is named Juventud Independiente and it played in the Salvadoran Premier Division after being promoted in Summer 2011. Now they play in the second division. They play their home games at the Complejo Municipal. This El Salvador location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . San Salvador San Salvador ( Spanish pronunciation: [san salβaˈðoɾ] ;)
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#17327756174412090-462: Is spoken more widely than in the past, due mainly to cultural influences from the United States, especially in entertainment, and the large number of Salvadoran emigrants returned from the United States. According to the 2007 Census, 72.3% of the population of San Salvador is mestizo, 25.8% is white, having mostly Spanish ancestry, and a few of French or German descents. In 2015, San Salvador
2185-454: Is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department . It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Municipality of San Salvador has 525,990 inhabitants (2024). The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador , which comprises the capital itself and 13 of its municipalities, has a population of 2,404,097. The urban area of San Salvador has
2280-417: Is well known in the western world as the source of Balsam of Peru and Tolu balsam . El Salvador is the main exporter of these resins, which are still extracted manually. El Cerro de San Jacinto (San Jacinto Hill) , is located on the eastern border of the municipality and is shared with Soyapango , Santo Tomás and San Marcos . The summit is located at 1,153 meters (3,783 feet) above sea level. The hill
2375-621: The Abbasid Caliphate and inspired famous legends such as that of Sinbad the Sailor . These early sailors and merchants would often set sail from the port city of Basra and, after many ports of call, would return to sell their goods, including spices, in Baghdad . The fame of many spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon are attributed to these early spice merchants. The Indian commercial connection with South East Asia proved vital to
2470-680: The Acelhuate River . The population of the city remained relatively small until the early 20th century. In January 1885, during the presidency of Rafael Zaldívar , a group of businessmen and the president's family contributed funds for building the Sara Zaldivar Asylum for Indigents and the Elderly. In 1902, the Hospital Rosales was built, named after its benefactor, Jose Rosales, a banker who gave his fortune to
2565-682: The Arabian Peninsula , resulting in the Austronesian colonization of Madagascar by the first half of the first millennium AD. It continued into historic times, later becoming the Maritime Silk Road . In the first millennium BC the Arabs , Phoenicians , and Indians were also engaged in sea and land trade in luxury goods such as spices, gold, precious stones, leather of exotic animals, ebony and pearls. The sea trade
2660-608: The Central American Games in 1977 and 1994, as well as the Miss Universe pageant in 1975 and in 2023 . San Salvador was also the host city of the 18th Ibero-American Summit in 2008, the most important sociopolitical event in the Spanish and Portuguese sphere. The Central American Integration System has its headquarters in San Salvador. San Salvador was named by Gonzalo de Alvarado in 1525, after
2755-645: The Christian Democratic Party candidate, José Napoleon Duarte , an engineer, was elected mayor; he served from 1964 to 1970. During his term he ordered construction of the Pancho Lara park in the Vista Hermosa neighborhood, renewed the electrical grid , and set up a system of schools for adult education . The 1960s to the 1980s were the golden age of San Salvador in all aspects of security, quality of life, and modernization. Today
2850-747: The Eastern World . These spices found their way into the Near East before the beginning of the Christian era, with fantastic tales hiding their true sources. The maritime aspect of the trade was dominated by the Austronesian peoples in Southeast Asia , namely the ancient Indonesian sailors who established routes from Southeast Asia to Sri Lanka and India (and later China) by 1500 BC. These goods were then transported by land towards
2945-622: The Estadio Cuscatlán were held in honor of the returning troops from the Football War with Honduras. The Boulevard de los Héroes (Boulevard of the Heroes) was named after the Salvadoran soldiers who fought there. The 1986 San Salvador earthquake destroyed many government buildings and other important structures, injuring and killing hundreds. Thousands of people were displaced by the disaster and many struggled to find shelter in
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3040-741: The Red Sea coast of Sudan . The spice trade was associated with overland routes early on, but maritime routes proved to be the factor which helped the trade grow. The first true maritime trade network in the Indian Ocean was by the Austronesian peoples of Island Southeast Asia . They established trade routes with Southern India and Sri Lanka from around 1500 BC to 600 BC, ushering an exchange of material culture (like catamarans , outrigger boats , lashed-lug and sewn-plank boats, and paan ) and cultigens (like coconuts , sandalwood , bananas , and sugarcane ), as well as spices endemic to
3135-487: The Red Sea route before the 1st century AD. During the first millennium AD, Ethiopians became the maritime trading power of the Red Sea . By this period, trade routes existed from Sri Lanka (the Roman Taprobane ) and India, which had acquired maritime technology from early Austronesian contact. By the mid-7th century AD, after the rise of Islam , Arab traders started plying these maritime routes and dominated
3230-536: The Rococo , Romantic and Art Nouveau architectural styles. The building contains three levels of seats, including a Presidential box at the center of the second level, and has seating for 650 people. The structure is surmounted by an ellipsoidal dome , the interior of which is adorned with a mural painted by Carlos Cañas and a crystal chandelier. San Salvador is also home to the museum Museo de Arte de El Salvador (MARTE), whose collection includes artworks dating from
3325-535: The Spanish conquest , the Pipil people established their capital, Cuzcatlan , near the current location of San Salvador. Not much is known about Cuzcatlan, as it was abandoned by its inhabitants in an effort to avoid Spanish rule. Under the orders of conquistador Pedro de Alvarado , his associates Gonzalo de Alvarado and Diego de Holguín occupied the empty settlement and began to develop it. Diego de Holguín became
3420-539: The Spice Islands ( cloves and nutmeg ). It also connected the material cultures of India and China later on via the Maritime Silk Road. Indonesians in particular were trading in spices (mainly cinnamon and cassia ) with East Africa using catamaran and outrigger boats and sailing with the help of the westerlies in the Indian Ocean. This trade network expanded to reach as far as Africa and
3515-753: The Strait of Magellan in the southern tip of South America, opening the Pacific to European exploration. On March 16, 1521, the ships reached the Philippines and soon after the Spice Islands, ultimately resulting decades later in the Manila Galleon trade, the first westward spice trade route to Asia. After Magellan's death in the Philippines, navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano took command of
3610-756: The Transfiguration of Jesus which celebrates every 6 August for the feast in the Western Church. That day in 1456 Pope Callixtus III made a commemoration of the Hungarian victory at the Siege of Belgrade against the Ottomans which made a spice trade blockade across Afro-Eurasia three years earlier. Thus, various places were named after the event with that name in order to designate the Christian church, such as Christopher Columbus who baptized in
3705-604: The Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities selected San Salvador as a "Latin American capital of culture", recognizing San Salvador's cultural diversity. The city government is restoring the downtown area, with the goal of celebrating the city's past and promoting cultural diversity. The symbols of the city are the Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo , shield, flag, anthem, and staff of office . The first three were created as
3800-674: The sultan of Yemen . Indian spice exports find mention in the works of Ibn Khurdadhbeh (850), al-Ghafiqi (1150), Ishak bin Imaran (907) and Al Kalkashandi (14th century). Chinese traveler Xuanzang mentions the town of Puri where "merchants depart for distant countries." From there, overland routes led to the Mediterranean coasts. From the 8th until the 15th century, maritime republics ( Republic of Venice , Republic of Pisa , Republic of Genoa , Duchy of Amalfi , Duchy of Gaeta , Republic of Ancona and Republic of Ragusa ) held
3895-662: The 19th Century with its first Independent movement , the Central American Independence Act , and the resist against the Mexican rule , the country got the name of El Salvador since 1824. Leaving San Salvador as a capital city that was already made since the Spanish rule in 1546; such name can also applies to the Salvadoran department . [REDACTED] Kingdom of Spain 1525–1821 [REDACTED] Mexican Empire 1822–1823 [REDACTED] Central America 1823–1841 [REDACTED] El Salvador 1841–1896 [REDACTED] Central America 1896–1898 [REDACTED] El Salvador 1898–present Before
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3990-407: The 5th century, but this role did not last through the Middle Ages. The rise of Islam brought a significant change to the trade as Radhanite Jewish and Arab merchants, particularly from Egypt , eventually took over conveying goods via the Levant to Europe . At times, Jews enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the spice trade in large parts of Western Europe. The spice trade had brought great riches to
4085-453: The Arabs had control over the sea trade with India. In the late second century BC, the Greeks from the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt learned from the Indians how to sail directly from Aden to the west coast of India using the monsoon winds (as did Hippalus ) and took control of the sea trade via Red Sea ports. Spices are discussed in biblical narratives, and there is literary evidence for their use in ancient Greek and Roman society. There
4180-409: The Mediterranean and the Greco-Roman world via the incense route and the Roman–India routes by Indian and Persian traders. The Austronesian maritime trade lanes later expanded into the Middle East and eastern Africa by the 1st millennium AD, resulting in the Austronesian colonization of Madagascar . Within specific regions, the Kingdom of Axum (5th century BC–AD 11th century) had pioneered
4275-532: The Moluccas and Maloko , and navigational works of the 14th and 15th centuries contain the first unequivocal Arab reference to Moluccas. Sulaima al-Mahr writes: "East of Timor [where sandalwood is found] are the islands of Bandam and they are the islands where nutmeg and mace are found. The islands of cloves are called Maluku ....." Moluccan products were shipped to trading emporiums in India, passing through ports like Kozhikode in Kerala and through Sri Lanka . From there they were shipped westward across
4370-400: The Nazi persecution by giving them Salvadoran nationality papers. The city has a small community of Palestinians , mostly descendants of Palestinian Christian families who immigrated from Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th century, with the highest rate of immigration between 1910 and 1925. San Salvador is rich in Spanish heritage, and its historical center contains architecture of
4465-434: The Portuguese had complete control of the African sea route, which extended through a long network of routes that linked three oceans, from the Moluccas (the Spice Islands) in the Pacific Ocean limits, through Malacca, Kerala and Sri Lanka, to Lisbon in Portugal. The Crown of Castile had organized the expedition of Christopher Columbus to compete with Portugal for the spice trade with Asia, but when Columbus landed on
4560-407: The Salvadoran capital. The World Trade Center San Salvador is located in District 3 (Colonia Escalón) at Avenida Norte and Calle del Mirador. The World Trade Center is interconnected to two hotels (one of which is the Crowne Plaza Hotel), a convention center and a commercial center containing retail shops and restaurants. As of October 2012, the center consists of two towers of 8 levels each, with
4655-434: The bells. The flag was designed at the request of the city government. The anthem was written by Carlos Bustamante (lyrics) and Ciriaco de Jesús Alas (music). The municipal staff shows a series of figures and symbols relating to local history. From top to bottom these images are: a native Amerindian, first mayor Diego de Olguín, Carlos V of Spain , the Royal Decree which gave San Salvador its name, Mayor Antonio Gutiérrez,
4750-399: The command of navigator Vasco da Gama continued beyond to the eastern coast of Africa to Malindi and sailed across the Indian Ocean to Calicut , on the Malabar Coast in Kerala in South India — the capital of the local Zamorin rulers. The wealth of the Indies was now open for the Europeans to explore; the Portuguese Empire was the earliest European seaborne empire to grow from
4845-401: The country, Roman Catholicism plays a prominent role in the celebration of holidays, including Las Fiestas Agostinas (The August Festivals) in honor of Jesus Christ, the Patron saint of El Salvador, referred to as El Salvador del Mundo (The Savior of the World). These events are becoming less prominent with a sharp decline in the Roman Catholic population during the past decade. San Salvador
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#17327756174414940-606: The country. The metropolitan area accounts for 3% of the national territory but 70% of public and private investment is made there. The economy of San Salvador, Antiguo Cuscatlán , and Santa Tecla is a mixed one composed mainly of services, private education, banking, business headquartering, and industrial manufacturing. Other municipalities in the metropolitan area depend either on industry, like Soyapango and Ilopango, on public services, like Mejicanos, or on power generation, as in Nejapa and Apopa. The other municipalities have not developed their own economies, however, they have provided
5035-517: The dry season) than nearby cities at sea level such as Acajutla . Its weather cools from the months of November through February due to seasonal winds of the dry season. During these months one can expect a daily mean of 22.2 °C (72.0 °F). The hottest months of the year are April and May, during the transition from the dry season (November to April), to the rainy season (May to October). In April and May average maximum temperatures reach 32.2 °C (90.0 °F). The highest reading ever recorded
5130-449: The expedition and drove it across the Indian Ocean and back to Spain, where they arrived in 1522 aboard the last remaining ship, the Victoria . For the next two-and-a-half centuries, Spain controlled a vast trade network that linked three continents: Asia, the Americas and Europe. A global spice route had been created: from Manila in the Philippines (Asia) to Seville in Spain (Europe), via Acapulco in Mexico (North America). One of
5225-415: The first Europeans to arrive, in early 1512. Abreu's expedition reached Buru , Ambon and Seram Islands, and then Banda. From 1507 to 1515 Albuquerque tried to completely block Arab and other traditional routes that stretched from the shores of Western India to the Mediterranean Sea, through the conquest of strategic bases in the Persian Gulf and at the entry of the Red Sea. By the early 16th century
5320-429: The first mayor of San Salvador after the town was founded on 1 April 1525. The town changed location twice, in 1528 and 1545. Originally established in what is now the archeological site of Ciudad Vieja , north of the present-day city, it was moved to the Valle de Las Hamacas , so named for the intense seismic activity that characterizes it. The new site was chosen because it had more space and more fertile land, thanks to
5415-485: The goods through Europe. The Republic of Venice had become a formidable power and a key player in the Eastern spice trade. Other powers, in an attempt to break the Venetian hold on spice trade, began to build up maritime capability. Until the mid-15th century, trade with the East was achieved through the Silk Road , with the Byzantine Empire and the Italian city-states of Venice and Genoa acting as middlemen. The first country to attempt to circumnavigate Africa
5510-445: The highest point in the municipality at 1,929 m (6,329 ft). El Boquerón Volcano was dormant since its last eruption in 1917, but has been active recently. East of the municipality lies the San Jacinto Hill and the caldera of Lake Ilopango , the largest natural body of water in the country with an area of 72 square kilometers (28 square miles). The caldera is seismically active, but has not erupted since 1880. San Salvador has
5605-538: The hospital and to the orphanage. The hospital's construction was begun by president Carlos Ezeta and finished during the presidency of Tomás Regalado . In 1905, president Pedro José Escalón initiated construction of the National Palace funded by coffee exportation taxes. The Monumento a los Próceres de 1811 (Monument to the Heroes of 1811), located in the Plaza Libertad , and the Teatro Nacional de El Salvador were built in 1911 during Manuel Enrique Araujo 's presidency. In 1917, an earthquake during an eruption of
5700-551: The inconvenience of conversion to other currencies. San Salvador's economy is mostly based on remittances, followed by service and retail sector, rather by industry or manufacturing. San Salvador is home to the great majority of corporations in the country, and supports many commercial activities, including food and beverage production; the pharmaceutical and chemical industries; the sale of automobiles, handicrafts, and construction materials; as well as appliance repair. Most national companies have their headquarters in San Salvador, which
5795-424: The interests of the municipality, there is a board of metropolitan agents. Each of the six city districts also has a government department. The mayor is a member of the Council of Mayors of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (COAMSS), composed of fourteen local councils that make up the area known as Greater San Salvador. The municipality is further subdivided into districts governed by the municipal mayor and by
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#17327756174415890-443: The island of Guanahani , Bahamas in 1492. And so, Gonzalo made it honor to the Divine Savior of the World , and the representation of the conquistador leader, Pedro de Alvarado at that moment to expand the territory of Cuzcatlan . This name made an inspiration for the country which was a part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala as province, later an alcalde mayor, and fast forward in 1785 an indendency . After entering into
5985-409: The island of Hispaniola (in what is now Haiti ) instead of in the Indies , the search for a route to Asia was postponed until a few years later. After Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513, the Spanish Crown prepared a westward voyage by Ferdinand Magellan in order to reach Asia from Spain across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On October 21, 1520, his expedition crossed
6080-468: The land trade of spices from South Arabia to the Mediterranean Sea . These tribes were the M'ain , Qataban , Hadhramaut , Saba and Himyarite . In the north the Nabateans took control of the trade route that crossed the Negev from Petra to Gaza . The trade enriched these tribes. South Arabia was called Eudaemon Arabia (the elated Arabia) by the Greeks and was on the agenda of conquests of Alexander of Macedonia before he died. The Indians and
6175-416: The maritime trade, promoting coinage, art, and literacy. Islam spread throughout the East, reaching maritime Southeast Asia in the 10th century; Muslim merchants played a crucial part in the trade. Christian missionaries, such as Saint Francis Xavier , were instrumental in the spread of Christianity in the East. Christianity competed with Islam to become the dominant religion of the Moluccas. However,
6270-420: The merchants of Arabia and Persia during the 7th and 8th centuries. Arab traders — mainly descendants of sailors from Yemen and Oman — dominated maritime routes throughout the Indian Ocean, tapping source regions in the Far East and linking to the secret "spice islands" ( Maluku Islands and Banda Islands ). The islands of Molucca also find mention in several records: a Javanese chronicle (1365) mentions
6365-572: The mid-19th century to the contemporary era. The museum has held temporary exhibitions of works by internationally renowned artists like Picasso , Rembrandt , Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró . The Museo Nacional de Antropología (MUNA) or National Museum of Anthropology, founded in 1883 by David Joaquín Guzmán , has exhibits on human settlements, agriculture, artisans, commerce and trade, religion, arts and communication. The museum aims to foster cultural awareness for Salvadorans through exhibitions, research, publications and educational programs. In 2011,
6460-857: The most important technological exchanges of the spice trade network was the early introduction of maritime technologies to India, the Middle East, East Africa, and China by the Austronesian peoples . These technologies include the plank-sewn hulls, catamarans , outrigger boats , and possibly the lateen sail . This is still evident in Sri Lankan and South Indian languages. For example, Tamil paṭavu , Telugu paḍava , and Kannada paḍahu , all meaning "ship", are all derived from Proto-Hesperonesian *padaw , "sailboat", with Austronesian cognates like Javanese perahu , Kadazan padau , Maranao padaw , Cebuano paráw , Samoan folau , Hawaiian halau , and Māori wharau . Austronesians also introduced many Austronesian cultigens to southern India, Sri Lanka, and eastern Africa that figured prominently in
6555-492: The municipality where the elevation is consistent. The city shares many topographic features with neighboring municipalities in the San Salvador and the La Libertad departments. The most notable topographical feature visible in San Salvador and its metropolitan area is the Boquerón Volcano , which looms over this region in its foothills at a height of 1,893 meters (6,211 feet) above sea level . San Salvador shares Cerro El Picacho , 1,931 meters (6,335 feet) above sea level, with
6650-474: The natives of the Spice Islands accommodated to aspects of both religions easily. The Portuguese colonial settlements saw traders, such as the Gujarati banias , South Indian Chettis , Syrian Christians , Chinese from Fujian province, and Arabs from Aden , involved in the spice trade. Epics, languages, and cultural customs were borrowed by Southeast Asia from India, and later China. Knowledge of Portuguese language became essential for merchants involved in
6745-469: The nearby San Salvador volcano damaged the city, but it escaped additional damage because the lava flowed down the back side of the volcano. On 2 December 1931, president Arturo Araujo was ousted by a military coup d'état and replaced by the military Civic Directory . The directory named vice-president Maximiliano Hernández Martínez as president and Araujo went into exile. The Hernández Martínez regime lasted from 4 December 1931 to 6 May 1944. In 1964,
6840-562: The neighboring municipality of Mejicanos . The portion of the Cordillera del Bálsamo (Balsam Mountain Range) that sits in the Municipality has an average elevation of 1,030 meters (3,379 feet) above sea level . The Cordillera del Bálsamo is named after the Myroxylon balsamum tree, one of two species of Central American and South American trees in the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The tree, often called Quina or Bálsamo ,
6935-466: The next tallest tower is used by RED Business Communication Systems. The complex also includes the Banco Azteca center, Stream Global Services representing Dell in Central America, The Israeli Embassy of San Salvador, Tigo , call centers, and other small offices and banks. The project started in 1997 with Phase I, the construction of the two tallest towers. In Phase II a seven-story-high tower for
7030-762: The old Dell company in Central America was built, and in Phase III a 12-story-high tower for Tigo and a 10-story-high tower for Telemovil. The final phase was remodeling of the Telemovil building to convert it into the Banco Azteca Center. Spice trade The spice trade involved historical civilizations in Asia , Northeast Africa and Europe . Spices, such as cinnamon , cassia , cardamom , ginger , pepper , nutmeg , star anise , clove , and turmeric , were known and used in antiquity and traded in
7125-567: The ports of Arabia to the Near East, to Ormus in the Persian Gulf and Jeddah in the Red Sea and sometimes to East Africa , where they were used for many purposes, including burial rites. The Abbasids used Alexandria, Damietta , Aden and Siraf as entry ports to trade with India and China. Merchants arriving from India in the port city of Aden paid tribute in form of musk , camphor , ambergris and sandalwood to Ibn Ziyad ,
7220-477: The priest José Matías Delgado, the seal of liberation of 1811, the 1821 independence seal, the shield of the Municipal Freedom Union, the national emblem, and God. On 5 May 2015, Mayor Nayib Bukele presented the redesigned city shield and flag. The new city coat of arms is silver as a symbol of purity; it has the flag of El Salvador in the center, and a ribbon on the bottom with the date 1834,
7315-525: The redevelopment of parks and historic buildings in the Rescate del Centro Histórico , which involves the removal of street vendors. This has led to several riots in the area, but he has managed to place the vendors in new markets where they can operate their own stalls. The cities in El Salvador, by constitutional provision (Article 203), are economically and administratively autonomous. San Salvador
7410-607: The ruins. In 1986, Mayor Morales Ehrlich closed streets in the downtown of the city to create a large pedestrian mall, which has resulted in chronic traffic congestion. The Chapultepec Peace Accords were signed on 16 January 1992, ending 12 years of civil war . The signing is celebrated as a national holiday with people flooding downtown San Salvador in the Plaza Gerardo Barrios and in La Libertad Park. Since 2009, Mayor Norman Quijano has worked for
7505-529: The spice trade. In 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca for Portugal, then the center of Asian trade. East of Malacca, Albuquerque sent several diplomatic and exploratory missions, including to the Moluccas. Learning the secret location of the Spice Islands , mainly the Banda Islands, then the world source of nutmeg, he sent an expedition led by António de Abreu to Banda, where they were
7600-587: The spice trade. They include bananas , Pacific domesticated coconuts , Dioscorea yams, wetland rice, sandalwood , giant taro , Polynesian arrowroot , ginger , lengkuas , tailed pepper , betel , areca nut , and sugarcane . Hindu and Buddhist religious establishments of Southeast Asia came to be associated with economic activity and commerce as patrons, entrusted large funds which would later be used to benefit local economies by estate management, craftsmanship, and promotion of trading activities. Buddhism , in particular, traveled alongside
7695-542: The tallest building in the country has 28 floors and is 110 meters high. With the commencement of the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s, many modernization projects were halted. Examples of suspended projects include a 40-story government building approximately 160 meters in height, and the Sheraton Hotel Tower, a 26-story building with a rotating restaurant on top. In 1969, celebrations in
7790-493: The title of town in 1881. It has 27 cantons: San Jose la Cueva, Talcualuya, El Castillo, Buena Vista, Nombre de Dios, San Antonio, San Pedro Martir, Tehuicho, Barranca Honda, Los Amates, Pitichorro, Nueva Encarnación, Chantusnene, San Nicolás Encarnación, Minas de Plomo, San Pedro Oriente, San Felipe, Los Encuentros, Agua Escondida, Lomas de Santiago, Joya de Ceren, Sitio del Niño, Chanmico, Matazano, Sitio Grande, El Jabali, Las Delicias, and Las Granadillas. The local football club
7885-437: The trade along the many spice routes. In 1571 the Spanish opened the first trans-Pacific route between its territories of the Philippines and Mexico, served by the Manila Galleon . This trade route lasted until 1815. The Portuguese trade routes were mainly restricted and limited by the use of ancient routes, ports, and nations that were difficult to dominate. The Dutch were later able to bypass many of these problems by pioneering
7980-572: The trade. The colonial pepper trade drastically changed the experience of modernity in Europe, and in Kerala and it brought, along with colonialism, early capitalism to India's Malabar Coast, changing cultures of work and caste. Indian merchants involved in spice trade took Indian cuisine to Southeast Asia, notably present day Malaysia and Indonesia , where spice mixtures and black pepper became popular. Conversely, Southeast Asian cuisine and crops
8075-592: The western Indian Ocean maritime routes. Arab traders eventually took over conveying goods via the Levant and Venetian merchants to Europe until the rise of the Seljuk Turks in 1090. Later the Ottoman Turks held the route again by 1453 respectively. Overland routes helped the spice trade initially, but maritime trade routes led to tremendous growth in commercial activities to Europe. The trade
8170-494: The workforce required for industry in neighboring municipalities. San Salvador, as well as the rest of the country, has used the U.S. dollar as its currency of exchange since 2001. Under the Monetary Integration Law, El Salvador adopted the U.S. dollar as a legal tender alongside the colón. This decision came about as an attempt to encourage foreign investors to launch new companies in El Salvador, saving them
8265-424: The year San Salvador was declared capital of Central America. On the sides it has two swords: to the left the sword of Francisco Morazán , and to the right, the sword of Gerardo Barrios , representing his past victories. A crown of laurels encircles the coat of arms, which is also surrounded by 6 stars, representing the 6 districts that form the city. San Salvador disproportionately concentrates economic activity in
8360-422: Was 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), the lowest was 8.2 °C (46.8 °F). The highest dew point was 27 °C (81 °F) and the lowest −10 °C (14 °F). Thunderstorms occur almost daily during the rainy season, mostly in the afternoon and through the night—by morning the sky clears and the days are usually sunny until the afternoon storms. San Salvador has a very hilly terrain; there are few parts of
8455-589: Was Portugal, which had, since the early 15th century, begun to explore northern Africa under Henry the Navigator . Emboldened by these early successes and eyeing a lucrative monopoly on a possible sea route to the Indies , the Portuguese first rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 on an expedition led by Bartolomeu Dias . Just nine years later in 1497, on the orders of Manuel I of Portugal , four vessels under
8550-594: Was also introduced to India and Sri Lanka, where rice cakes and coconut milk -based dishes are still dominant. European people intermarried with Indians and popularized valuable culinary skills , such as baking , in India. Indian food, adapted to the European palate, became visible in England by 1811 as exclusive establishments began catering to the tastes of both the curious and those returning from India. Opium
8645-578: Was changed by the Crusades and later the European Age of Discovery , during which the spice trade, particularly in black pepper , became an influential activity for European traders. From the 11th to the 15th centuries, the Italian maritime republics of Venice and Genoa monopolized the trade between Europe and Asia. The Cape Route from Europe to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope
8740-631: Was in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean . The sea route in the Red Sea was from Bab-el-Mandeb to Berenike , from there by land to the Nile , and then by boats to Alexandria . Luxury goods including Indian spices, ebony , silk and fine textiles were traded along the overland incense route . In the second half of the first millennium BC the Arab tribes of South and West Arabia took control over
8835-594: Was once famous for the San Jacinto Cable Car and Park located at its summit, but the facilities were eventually abandoned. Soil types include regosol , latosol , and andosol , as well as soils derived from andesitic and basaltic rocks. The river nearest San Salvador is the Acelhuate , which is 2.2 km (1.4 mi) long. Although not within the municipality, it forms a natural boundary between San Salvador and Soyapango. The Acelhuate served as
8930-654: Was pioneered by the Portuguese explorer navigator Vasco da Gama in 1498, resulting in new maritime routes for trade. This trade, which drove world trade from the end of the Middle Ages well into the Renaissance , ushered in an age of European domination in the East. Channels such as the Bay of Bengal served as bridges for cultural and commercial exchanges between diverse cultures as nations struggled to gain control of
9025-435: Was projected to have a population of 257,754 inhabitants, accounting for about 3.99% of the country's population, while the metropolitan area had 1,767,102 inhabitants, comprising 27.4% of the country's total population. The population of San Salvador is predominantly Roman Catholic , with a significant minority of Protestants. There is more diversity of religion than in most Latin American countries. The Protestant population
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