In 1457, Pope Calixto III instituted the Catholic holiday of the Holy Salvador every August 6, in thanksgiving for the victory of the Christian armies over the forces of Mehmed II in 1456 during the siege of Belgrade. In this way, many towns and places were named after San Salvador and several churches placed under the invocation of the World's Divine Savior. So Christopher Columbus named the island of Guanahaní with such a name. On his part, Pedro de Alvarado, organizing a second expedition on the territory of Cuscatlán, ordered his brother Gonzalo de Alvarado to give the name of San Salvador to the village that was founded there, which probably happened on April 1, 1525. ​ ​

City Foundation and Colonial Era

After the victories over the pipypiles in the battles of Acajutla and Tacuzcalco, the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado tried to subdue the natives of the capital of the Señorío de Cuzcatlán upon their arrival on June 18, 1524. The Cuscatlecos, however, fled to the neighboring mountains and the Extremaduran had retreat to the current Guatemala area. The first villa in San Salvador was founded less than a year after this expedition, by an undocumented mission led by Gonzalo de Alvarado. ​ First mention about this settlement is a letter from Pedro de Alvarado himself in Guatemala on May 6, 1525, noting that a council could not be celebrated because of the absence of Diego de Holguín, who had begun to take over as Mayor from the village of San Salvador. ​

Due to the frequent rebellions on the site by the natives, a new village was established in the place currently known as Ciudad Vieja, south of the current town of Suchitoto (April 1, 1528). Its original route took fifteen days and became populated by a number of 50 to 60 houses, ​ with Antonio de Salazar and Juan de Aguilar as mayors. ​

After the pacification of the region, the small town was abandoned little by little and the new settlement was located, in the year of 1545, in the valley of Zalcoatitán renamed "Valley of Hamacas". It is estimated that such camping was on the so-called "Palo Verde" slope, and was known as "the Village." To the north of that site, the Plaza Mayor, where the Freedom Square is currently located, was established; to the east, the Church consecrated to the Holy Savior of the World was erected. On September 27, 1546, through the actions of the Procurators Alonso de Oliveros and Hernán Méndez de Sotomayor, and at the request of the Secretary of the Royal Crown Juan de Samano to the Infante Don Felipe for the absence of Emperor Charles V of Germany and I of Spain, the villa was elevated to the city status by Real Provisión.

During the colonial period it was the most important city of the Mayor of San Salvador, in turn part of the Kingdom of Guatemala. In the 17th century, the main activity of this region was yearly, for export to Europe. In the second half of the eighteenth century, due to the Borbonic Reforms, which aimed to improve the collection of taxes and create state monopolies, the Intendency of San Salvador was created in 1785; the city itself was the head of his party.

Republican era

San Salvador played a prominent role in the years leading up to Central American independence. It was there that the first rebellion against the authorities of the Captaincy took place in 1811, and one more in 1814, both unsuccessfully, a movement led by priest José Matias Delgado and Manuel José Arce Fagoaga who continued until the independence of Spain in 1821. With the declaration of the Plan of Iguala by Agustín de Iturbide, the then provinces of Capitania declared their emancipation on 15 september 1821. The news of this event came to San Salvador on 21 september.

From then on, the old intentions were independently governed. In fact, in San Salvador, a Chief Politician was in charge. But, ultimately, they were still under the leadership of an Interim Advisory Board based in Guatemala. Months later, an invitation came from Mexico from Iturbide for the provinces to join the new Empire. The Board decided to annex it on 5 January 1822; only two municipalities, out of the 170 that made up the region, refused: San Salvador and San Vicente. ​ In the next two years the city faced two invasions from Guatemala, which the defense forces could repel. In February 1823, however, Vicente Philísola besieged and occupied the city; his stay ended due to Iturbide's removal from power.

With the birth of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1824, the city was engulfed in the turbulent years that confronted liberals and conservatives. In order to separate itself from the influence of power exercised by the city of Guatemala, the Federal Congress decided to transfer the capital of the federation to San Salvador in June 1834, and created a Federal District there on April 20, 1835. ​ The chaotic situation in the region created a state of general poverty. This condition also led to a cholera epidemic in 1836.

The country's economy gradually changed in the second half of the nineteenth century, as the yellowfin was replaced by coffee cultivation as the main export product. The city had a change in its main buildings, whose designs had European influences. During the administration of General Gerardo Barrios, a National Palace with Neoclassical characteristics was built; ​ same as the University of El Salvador, in 1870, with notable French influences. On the other hand, a notable development was the arrival of the telegraph in 1879. A traveler by the name Sherzer described the population during those years:

Among all the cities I have visited in Central America, with the only exception of Guatemala, (San Salvador) is the cleanest and most pleasant looking ​

A US diplomat, for his part, in a book called "Notes on Central America," estimated the population of Central America at 25,000 in 1852. ​ Despite all this, any breakthrough in infrastructure was rocked by the usual earthquakes that have hit the region. For example, the earthquake of 16 April 1854 caused so much destruction in the capital that the authorities moved to Cojutepeque for four years; and Santa Tecla came up to make it a potential capital. But in 1858 the authorities returned to San Salvador and by Legislative Decree of January 27, 1859, published in the Gaceta del (Sic) Salvador No. 75, Tomo No. 7, of February 2, 1859, ​ it was declared that the old city of San Salvador was once again the capital of the country. ​ other telluric events in 1873 and 1880.

20th and 21st centuries

Palacio Nacional and Plaza Gerardo Barrios.

Monument to the Proceres, located in Freedom Square. Here was the first trace of the city during its move to the current valley in 1545.

Monument to Francisco Morazán in the square bearing his name. It is the oldest monument in the city, still standing.

Plaza Francisco Morazán, National Theater of San Salvador and dome of the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador.

At the beginning of the 20th century, capital, like the country in general, developed on the basis of the income generated by the export of coffee. As an expression of this prosperity, several recognized structures in the city were initiated, such as the Dueñas Park, later known as the Freedom Square (1900); the National Theater of San Salvador; the former Presidential House (1911) and the Rosales Hospital (opened in 1902). They are all built to make the town more cosmopolitan. Yet again, natural disasters destroyed many buildings back then with the earthquakes of 1917 and 1919; and a flood in 1922.

As the seat of government, important political events occurred throughout the century in San Salvador. Just in the first few years, Manuel Enrique Araujo's assassination occurred on February 4, 1913 in Plaza Barrios. Years later, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez would come to power through a coup in 1931, in the midst of the economic crisis that resulted in the fall of coffee prices during the Great Depression years. From then on, he would enter an era of political turmoil with the dominance of the military establishment. In the 1970s,

José Napoleon Duarte, an engineer, was elected mayor; I served from 1964 to 1970. The 1960s to 1980s were the golden age of San Salvador in all aspects of security, quality of life and modernization.

with the rise of political violence, San Salvador was the scene of numerous popular protests by various organizations opposed to the regime; the largest of them, recorded in the history of the country, occurred on 22 january 1980. ​

With the advent of the civil war, despite not being the theater of military operations, the situation on the streets of the capital was uneasy. Enforced disappearances, bombs, and public transportation strikes were commonplace. In those years, a special event hit the metropolitan area: the 1986 earthquake, which, in addition to claiming about 3,500 lives, destroyed many of the buildings in the "Historical Center". Another of the most critical moments occurred with the so-called "final offensive" of November 11, 1989. The signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords on January 16, 1992, ended the civil war. In those days, various displays of jubilation took place in the historic center, especially on February 1 with the official cessation of the military actions. Despite this historic achievement that put an end to political violence, new challenges emerged with the progression of criminal violence.

In the 1990s there was an economic boom with the introduction of a neoliberal model in the country. The city was more economically active with the arrival of international franchises, the creation of new uneven vehicle crossings, new shopping centers, and recreation areas. In the first decade of the 21st century, the government has built new roads on the outskirts of the municipality to decongest the passage through the city. On the other hand, unemployment in recent years has led to more social problems, including the increase in informal trade.

San Salvador is located in the central part of the country. Its elevation is between 600 and 1000 meters above sea level. Although the city itself is 670 meters away. ​ it borders the municipalities of Nejapa, Mejicanos, Cuscatancingo, and Ciudad Delgado, to the east with Soyapango and San Marcos, to the south with Panchimalco and also with San Marcos, and to the west with Antiguo Cuscatlán and Santa Tecla.

The geography of the Salvadoran capital is dominated by two great orographic prominences, which make the capital's landscape unmistakable, since from anywhere in the city these can be observed: San Salvador Volcano and Cerro San Jacinto. The first one is composed of two major formations: The Picacho, with a height of 1959.97 m; and the other one, El Boquerón, the most voluptuous formation, of 1839.39 msnm, which has a huge crater 1.5 km in diameter. This volcano is representative of the city, to the point that it basically forms its skyline (horizon), palliding to any other human-made structure in the city, perhaps this is why, despite some real estate takeoff that the locality has experienced since the late 1990s, no structure has become an icon of it, except for the historical buildings. The second most representative orographic structure of this municipality is Cerro San Jacinto, which has a height of 1100 msm and which until recently had a cable car at its peak. The aforementioned San Salvador Volcano is located west of the city, while the San Jacinto Hill is at its extreme southeast. These two natural atalayas frame the valley in which San Salvador sits.

The valley in which San Salvador is located is named "Las Hamacas" or "Zalcoatitán". The first one was put by the Iberian conquerors due to its seismic nature. This valley is crossed by many tectonic flaws, which is why San Salvador has been destroyed and rebuilt more than twenty times since it moved to this territory in 1545. The valley is very narrow compared to other Salvadoran valleys and is far from flat, since from the west, where the San Salvador Volcano is located, it reaches a height of more than one 1000 meters before descending little by little to meet Cerro San Jacinto and the banks of the Acelhuate River, reaching here a low height of 590 meters, thus proving to the eyes of any spectator that this valley is just a prolonged extension of the slopes of the San Salvador Volcano. In addition to this, the valley is not always continuous, as it is crossed by many sandals and rivers, such as Arenal La Mascot, Arenal Monserrat, Arenal Tutunichapa, among others, all running from West to East, following the very depression of the plain until it lands on the Acelhuate River.

In the south, the valley and municipality of San Salvador is flanked by the Cordillera del Balsamo, separating it from the coastal plain. To the north, the passage of the Las Hamacas Valley is blocked by gentle mountains corresponding to the municipalities of Ayutuxtepeque and the city of Delgado, which separate San Salvador from another long valley that extends to the Lempa River basin in the north of the country.

Northwest: Santa Tecla (Department of Freedom) and Nejapa	North: Mejicanos y Cuscatancingo	Northeast: Delgado City
West: Former Cuscatlán (Department of Liberty)		This one: Soyapango
Southwest Antiguo Cuscatlán (Department of Liberty)	South: Panchimalco and San Marcos	Southeast: Saint Mark

Panoramic of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (without showing a part of Antiguo Cuscatlán or Santa Tecla, municipalities of La Libertad that are also part of the Gran San Salvador -right of the image).

Climate

San Salvador has a warm climate all year round, with December, January and February being the freshest. Temperatures stay between 18 and 33 degrees Celsius. The hottest ones are from March to May. From May to October is the rainy season, floods usually occur (especially in rivers).

Temperatures vary between noon and midnight, due to changes in humidity levels. The highest recorded temperature in San Salvador was 38.5 °C, the lowest was 4.0 °C.

Average climatic parameters of San Salvador
Month	Jan.	Feb.	Sea.	Apr.	May.	Jun.	July.	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. Aps. (°C)	38.3	39.4	40.6	40.0	39.4	36.7	36.7	36.7	37.2	38.3	38.9	38.3	40.6
Temp. max. mean (°C)	10.3	30.1	32.0	32.2	30.8	29.5	30.1	30.0	29.0	29.1	28.0	28.6	30
Temp. mean (°C)	22.2	22.8	23.8	24.5	24.2	23.3	23.3	23.2	22.8	22.8	22.4	22.0	23.1
Temp. min. mean (°C)	15.9	16.8	17.7	19.0	20.0	19.6	19.1	19.3	19.4	18.0	17.9	15.1	18.2
Temp. min. Aps. (°C)	7.2	9.4	7.2	12.2	14.4	13.3	14.4	15.6	11.7	12.2	9.4	8.3	7.2
Total precipitation (mm)	5.0	2.0	9.0	36.0	152.0	292.0	316.0	311.0	348.0	217.0	36.0	10.0	1,734.0
Days of precipitation (≥ 1 mm)	3	3	3	5	13	20	20	20	20	16	4	2	123
Sun Hours	301	277	294	243	220	174	239	257	180	211	267	294	2,957
Source No. 1: World Meteorological Organization, ​ World Bioclimatic Classification System (extremes) ​
Source No. 2: Danish Meteorological Institute (sun only) ​

Orography

Among the elevations that the municipality has are Cerro El Picacho, Cerro San Jacinto and Cerro Chantecuán, as well as the hills La Torre and Candelaria. ​ The area is home to soils such as regosols, latosols and andosols, and rocks such as andistic lava and basaltic lava.

From here you can see the valley in which San Salvador is located. El Volcan de San Salvador (top of image) and Cerro San Jacinto (bottom of image) at the western and eastern end of the city, respectively. The North is to the right of the image.

Hydrography

The main rivers of the municipality are the River Acelhuate, 2.2 km away. from the city and the Iohuapa River, 5.2 km away. the rivers Matalapa, El Garroba, San Antonio, Urbina and Casa de Piedra are also located. ​ among the gorges are El Garrobo, Sirimullo, La Quebradona, Los Cojos, Las Lajas, El Manguito, La Lechuza, La Mascot, San Felipe, Tutunichapa and Mejicanos.

In El Salvador, by constitutional provisions, municipalities are autonomous economically, technically and administratively (art. 203). They are governed by a council consisting of a mayor (elected by free and direct vote every three years, with the option of being re-elected), a trade union and two or more councilors whose number varies in proportion to the population of the municipality. In the case of this city, it is currently ruled by mayor Ernesto Muyshondt, who is part of the right-wing ARENA party, was elected to the 2018-2020 term under the banner of this political party. He is accompanied by a trustee, twelve proprietor councilors and four alternates; and a secretary. The functions and powers of this Government are within the framework of the regulations of the Municipal Code. ​ As regards the administration of the municipality, some organizational aspects should be highlighted. San Salvador has decentralized entities (committee of festivities, administration of the El Espino farm, Parque Cuscatlán, administration of cemeteries, etc.); for the protection of the interests of the community, it has a Corps of Metropolitan Agents; the structure comprises market and citizen services management, under the direction of a gender unit; District management of the commune (which are six, to decentralize municipal work), Finance Management, and a Management of the historic center, etc. ​ La comuna is also part of the Council of Mayors of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (COAMSS), composed of fourteen municipal councils that make up the area called Gran San Salvador.

Mayors of San Salvador since 1964

Since 1964, the following people have been mayors of San Salvador:

The municipal cane or "Vara Edilicia" of the city of San Salvador.

National symbols of the city

From May 5, 2015 to May 1, 2018, the city of San Salvador held another shield. The banner was revealed by Mayor Nayib Bukele who detailed the meaning of the elements, among which the shield with three diagonal stripes (two blue and white to the center) is highlighted, surrounded by a crown of laurels. Below it is a list with the year "1834" that corresponds to the date when San Salvador was capital of the Federal Republic of Central America. There are also two swords converging on the blason that symbolize belonging to Francisco Morazán and Gerardo Barrios, which also penetrate two parchments with the words "City" and "Capital" respectively. The entire emblem is surrounded by six stars representing the six districts of San Salvador.

On May 1, 2018, taking over the building rod Ernesto Muyshondt, he reinstated the previous shield created by José Mejía Vides. ​

There is also the anthem and the vara edilicia, which were adopted — along with the old shield — from a competition promoted in 1943. The flag was designed at the initiative of the authorities. As an anthem, Carlos Bustamante (letter) and Ciriaco de Jesús Alas (music) were chosen. The municipal cane, for its part, shows a series of figures and symbols related to local history. ​

San Salvador is the most populated city in the country with an estimated 281,870 inhabitants of its own by 2014, ​ and 1,740,053 inhabitants in Gran San Salvador or AMSS (Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, estimated 2012). ​ Central San Salvador is at an altitude of 658 meters m ​ and its population density is 2,067 inhabitants per km². ​

Religion

Metropolitan Cathedral of the World's Savior Divine.

María Auxiliadora Church

In the center of the city you will find the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Divine Savior of the World, which is part of the Archdiocese of San Salvador. The patron saint of the World, the patron of the city since the colonial era, is celebrated in honor of the Divine Savior of the World. ​, the Virgin of the Presentation, which may have been the first to whom the former inhabitants worshipped, is considered "Patroness Protector of the City of San Salvador". ​ The Virgin of the Rosario is also the patron of the Archdiocese and the metropolis ​.

The majority of the population professes Catholicism, but there are also a considerable number of evangelical and Protestant groups such as the Baptist Association of El Salvador (ABES) and the Baptist Federation of El Salvador that has small local churches throughout the national territory, ​ the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, the Elim Church, the Baptist Baptist Tabernacle "Friends of Israel", the Central Mission American and Tent of International Avivement (TAI). ​ There are also Jewish religious communities, not to mention Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Seventh-Day Adventists.

The population of San Salvador is predominantly Catholic, with a significant minority of Protestants. There is more diversity of religion than in most Latin American countries. The Protestant population is mostly evangelical. One of the largest Protestant Churches in the city is the Josue Christian Church (of the Assemblies of God), another is the Baptist Biblical Tent, Friends of Israel (Biblical Baptist Tent, Friends of Israel). There is also a considerable population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often dubbed the Mormons. The Mormona community in El Salvador recently built its first temple. In El Salvador, a structure of impressive engineering and architecture. There are also smaller chapels of Latter-Day Saints in Districts 1 and 3.

As in most of the country, Catholicism still plays an important role in celebrating holidays, such as Las Fiestas Agostinas (August festivals) in honor of Jesus Christ, the "saint" patron of El Salvador, known as El Salvador del Mundo (El Salvador del Mundo). These events are becoming less prominent with a sharp decline in the Catholic population over the last decade. San Salvador also houses some 3,500 Jews; the jewish community remains strong, but not so strong since the 1980s, as many of them left with the start of the Salvadoran civil war. Many Jews had emigrated to El Salvador during World War II because of the work of José Castellanos Contreras , the Salvadoran Diplomatic Consul General.in Geneva, Switzerland, who helped a Jewish-Hungarian businessman named Gyorgy Mandl (later adopted the name George Mantello) to save 40,000 Jews in Central Europe from Nazi persecution by handing them documents of Salvadoran nationality. The city has a small community of Palestinians, mostly descendants of Palestinian Christian families who emigrated from Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th century, with the highest rate of immigration between 1910 and 1925. The city also has Korean evangelical churches to Maintain Korean language services for a growing Korean population.

Torre Cuscatlán, seat of the bank Cuscatlán, located in the Boulevard of Los Proceres. Built in 1989, it was one of the first contemporary buildings in the city.

Roble Tower, located on Heroes' Boulevard. It is part of the Metrocentro San Salvador shopping complex. It is home to the Roble Group.

Evening View of Hotel Barcelo San Salvador

Industry and trade

The city, being the capital, has many places of food, beverages and handicrafts production. It also includes construction materials, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, as well as auto mechanics businesses, and appliances. Examples include MOLSA (Mills of El Salvador) and Constance Industries

It is also home to major shopping centers that, in addition to offering products to visitors, are a source of employment for many Salvadoran families; among them the Metrocentro shopping center, "El Paseo" shopping center and Galerias shopping center.

There are also prestigious business centers such as the Giant Financial Center and the World Trade Center San Salvador, where important companies and international organizations are located, such as: Microsoft, Ericsson, IDB, Mitsubishi Corporation, AMCHAM, Embassy of Japan, Agricultural Bank, Organization of American States (OAS), World Bank, Embassy of Korea, Japan Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Korean Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the British Embassy.

On the other hand, in terms of hotel accommodation, by 2011 San Salvador had four luxury hotels in operation, ten of first class, and eighty of economy class. ​ Among the most important:

• Real InterContinental San Salvador Hotel
• Barceló San Salvador Hotel
• Sheraton President San Salvador
• Crowne Plaza San Salvador together with Plaza Hotel & Suites.

As for the municipal markets, the Central Market, the largest in the city with ten pavilions, stands out; others are: San Jacinto, Belloso, La Tiendona, Sacré Corazón, San Miguelito, San Antonio, Tinneti, ​ and Cuscatlán, the latter which is both a commercial and a cultural activity. ​

Heritage and monuments

Monument to Divine Savior of the World.

In San Salvador there are a number of monuments and historic sites, many of which are part of the country's declared cultural heritage. ​ Highlights the World's Salvador Divine Monument, located in the Plaza Salvador del Mundo, ​ dedicated to the Patrono of the city and an entire national symbol. Considered national monuments are: the belfry of the Church of La Merced; writer Alberto Masferrer's grave; the grave of Captain General Gerardo Barrios; Our Lady of Candelaria Church; National Theater; National Palace; and the Hospital Rosales, among others; as cultural property: the House of Academies; Former Presidential House; Venustiano Carranza Park; Blue Hall of the National Palace, etc.; also among the historical sites is the Church of El Rosario, built in the old seat of the city's cathedral.

Nueva Plaza Libertad in the Historic Center of San Salvador.

Some of these sites are located within the so-called Historical Center of San Salvador, where the growth of the city started from the colonial era. This area has been destroyed over time by natural disasters and the buildings that are maintained are from the late 19th and early 20th century; for example, there are the Plaza Francisco Morazán, Plaza Barrios, and Plaza Libertad with Monumento a los Proceres. To the west of the capital is the Revolution Monument, erected in the middle of the 20th century. One interesting set is the Los Ilustres Cemetery in San Salvador's General Cemetery, which boasts various mausoleums and artistic statues, where the remains of wealthy families and personalities of the Salvadoran event rest, including politicians like Francisco Morazán and Gerardo Barrios, or writers like Salarrué and Claudia Lars. On the other hand, in memory of the victims of the Salvadoran Civil War, there is the Monumento a la Memoria y la Verdad (Memorial and Truth) in the Cuscatlán park.

Cultural activities and entertainment

Plaza Gerardo Barrios, in front of the metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador and National Palace.

Interior, Grand Hall of the National Theater

For the enjoyment of the nightlife in this capital, there is a variety of restaurants, nightclubs and bars. For the case, there are identified areas that concentrate these leisure centers: the "Zona Rosa" on the west of the Boulevard of the Hippodrome; the Real Zone, located in the vicinity of the Heroes Boulevard; and the Paseo General Escalón. It should be noted that some of these contours fall within the areas where the carrying of weapons is not permitted under a law of the republic. ​ The mass musical shows take place at major sporting venues such as the National Gym, the Cuscatlán Stadium, or the amphitheater of the International Convention and Fair Center. Another option is the second highest structure in the country: Torre Futura, home to offices and a shopping area.

Theater seasons exist in San Salvador. The best place for performing arts is the National Theater. Other establishments include: the Luis Poma Theater, the Roque Dalton Municipal Theater, the President Theater (where dance events are also held), and audiences of institutions such as the Dr. José Matías Delgado University, Central American University "José Simeón Cañas"; or the Cultural Center of Spain. There are also exhibitions of the National and Youth Symphony Orchestra. For the exhibition of plastic arts, there are places like the National Exhibition Hall "Salarrué" located in the Cuscatlán Park, and others of a private nature. As for cinema halls, the offer is found in the large shopping centers. An important space for the development of art and culture is the Legislative Civic Cultural Center.

With regard to the family playgrounds, the city has Cuscatlán Park, the National Zoo, Saburo Hirao Park, El Talapo Metropolitan Park, and Bicentennial Park.

At the beginning of August, the patrons' festivities dedicated to the World's Divine Savior are celebrated. On this occasion the main events are the float parades that pass through the city, in addition to a religious procession on August 5, which culminates in a ceremony that represents the Transfiguration of Jesus; and a main mass, on August 6th, in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

On the other hand, the XIV Assembly of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities elected San Salvador as the Ibero-American Capital of Culture for 2011, in view of the celebration of the Bicentennial of the First Cry of Independence of Central America. ​

Museums and libraries

The National Anthropology Museum Dr. David J. Guzmán.

In the west of San Salvador, two important institutions are located for activities related to the culture of El Salvador. The first is the National Anthropology Museum Dr. David J. Guzmán (MUNA), an organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the identity of this country through various activities related to archeology and anthropology. The other is the Salvadoran Museum of Art (MARTE), which opened in 2003 as a private non-profit institution that exhibits national and private art collections, as well as other educational programs. Other sites in the capital include: for children, the Tin Marín Museum, in Cuscatlán Park; to the south you will find the Military Museum of the Salvadoran Armed Forces at the former premises of El Zapote barracks, and the Natural History Museum at Saburo Hirao Park. The city also features the Museum of Word and Image, Stephen W. Hawkins Science Museum, Ilobasco Museum of Popular Art for the Crafts Exhibition, the University Museum of Anthropology, El Salvador Mortgage Bank Museum and Railway Museum.

In terms of libraries, the Francisco Gavidia National Library, the General Archive of the Nation (located in the National Palace of El Salvador), the Library of the Legislative Assembly and the General Library of the Armed Forces are noteworthy. There are also educational institutes such as the Central American University "José Simeón Cañas", the Technological University of El Salvador, the University of El Salvador, etc.

Education

According to the Ministry of Education's database for 2011, there were 334 schools in the municipality, 143 of which were public and 191 private. ​

As for the institutions of higher education, some of the most important universities in the country are based, among them:

• University of El Salvador (State).
• Central American University "José Simeon Cañas".
• University Dr. José Matías Delgado.
• El Salvador University of Technology.
• Salvadoran University Alberto Masferrer.
• Don Bosco El Salvador University.
• El Salvador University of Teaching.

Sport

The National Stadium Jorge "El Mágico" González, built in 1935, is the oldest stadium in the city. It is really a sports complex, as all its facilities are made up of a tennis court, an Olympic pool, a pedagogic and shooting targets.

The city hosts important national and international sports venues. The main one is the privately owned Cuscatlán Stadium, the largest in Central America. It is home to the National Football Team and the Alliance F.C. and C.D. Atlético Mars teams from the first division. Others are of public administration, under the leadership of El Salvador's National Sports Institute (an organization that sits in this city), such as the Jorge "Mágico" González National Stadium (formerly known as the "Flor Blanca"), which also has a football pitch, athletics pitch and facilities for other sports.

The University of El Salvador also has the University Stadium, home of the University of El Salvador. There is also the "Carlos El Famoso Hernández" Sports Palace, the scene of multiple disciplines under the roof, as is the "Adolfo Pineda" National Gym and the Complex for Water Sports and Velodromo-National Patinódromo (popularly called "the Polvorín").

Other facilities include the "Saturnino Bengoa" National Pelota Park for baseball practice; and for softball, the "José Arnoldo Guzmán" court. El Salvador's International Feria and Convention Center is another option for hosting disciplines under the roof.

El Salvador's Olympic Committee is based in San Salvador, and under its leadership the most important events have been held internationally, including the III and XIX Central American and Caribbean Games in 1935 and 2002, respectively.

Monsignor Óscar Romero Boulevard (formerly known as Bulevar Diego de Holguín factually), which had not yet been opened.

About 200,000 registered vehicles are in circulation in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador every day. About 300,000 trips are made to the municipality of San Salvador itself, at peak hours in the morning. ​ Around the city there are primary roads that connect it to the interior of the country, these being the Troncal del Norte, which leads to Apopa and Chalatenango, the road to Santa Tecla to the west of the country, the road to Comalapa International Airport, and the Bulevgo the National Army, leading to the East. Since the beginning of the century, the government has built several roads to decongest traffic in vehicles as the city's forced passage through the country. Among these roads are the Troncal journey from North to Soyapango, extension of the Boulevard Constitutiono, ​ and Monsignor Romero Boulevard to the west of the capital. ​

Another major construction project culminated in February 2017 with the construction of the "Masferrer Tunnel", also to the west of the city, which allows the fluid traffic of vehicles between Jerusalem Avenue and Masferrer Norte Avenue below the Redondel Alberto Masferrer. The work incorporates two "inclusive runways" that serve as a passage for pedestrians and cyclists, and also features lifts and metal stands for people with disabilities. ​

The numerical denomination of streets and avenues is organized according to the four squares that form the intersection of Avenida España and Avenida Cuscatlán (north and south, respectively), with Arce and Delgado (west and east) streets in the center of the city. So, the North and South odd-numbered avenues are to the west of this intersection and even-numbered avenues to the east. The roads, meanwhile, with an odd-numbered west and east, are north of the crossing; the western and eastern pairs, the south. Among the main streets and avenues of the city are Paseo General Escalón, the Alameda Manuel Enrique Araujo-Alameda Franklin D. Roosevelt-Calle Rubén Darío, Alameda Juan Pablo II, Boulevard de los Héroes, Boulevard Venezuela, Boulevard Los Proceres, Boulevard Los Proceres, and Constitution Boulevard.

As for public transport, there is considerable availability of buses and microbuses at a cost of US$0.20 and US$0.35 for the former and US$0.25 for the latter. In San Salvador, there are also the Western and Eastern Terminals, which are the point of bus units to various parts of the country, as well as international ground transport companies that provide services for the other countries of Central America and southern Mexico.

SITRAMSS

articulated bus of the BRT system of SITRAMSS in the City.

San Salvador is part of the Integrated Transport System of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (Sitramss) route. This work consists of the construction of exclusive corridors for articulated BRT buses that will transport passengers from San Martín to Santa Tecla. It was partially operational in May 2015. The system has a prepaid card, and benefits security, speed and contribution to a cleaner environment. ​ ​

Air Transport

The main airports serving the city of San Salvador are the El Salvador International Airport and the Ilopango International Airport, El Salvador International Airport, is located 30 minutes from the capital and from there it serves 31 direct destinations to North America, Central America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. Ilopango International Airport is only authorized for civilian flights, air taxis and TAG (Air Transport of Guatemala), and offers regular services to Guatemala City and San Pedro Sula.

Media

Giant Financial Center, Telefónica, RED, Tigo

The city has a variety of modern media. In fixed, public and mobile telephony, the main companies dedicated to these services in the country are based in the city. Among them are Claro, Telefónica, Tigo, Digicel, etc. There is also coverage in cable, satellite, digital and Internet services.

In this capital, the main print media is circulating and some of El Salvador's main newspapers are headquartered, including El Diario de Hoy, Diario Co Latino and Diario El Mundo. In terms of television, companies such as Salvadoran Telecorporación, Megavisión Group and Tecnovisión also have their seats; there are also telecoms of educational institutions (Universidad Francisco Gavidia) and christians (Catholics and Protestants). As for radio broadcasters, there is a diversity of programming in FM and AM frequencies, both commercial, participatory-community or Christian (Catholic or Protestant) content.

In El Salvador with the increase in violence, the Metropolitan Area is considered to have the highest crime rates in the country. ​ Another very significant problem is the gangs, so much so that FBI offices have been opened in the city. ​ One problem that has been in place is the disorder in the historic center by street vendors, a problem that is caused by the growth of the national population, and the search for daily livelihood, something that has given rise product to the disorder of the center of the capital. ​

• San Salvador, El Salvador
• Salvador del Mundo Square

• National Palace of El Salvador

• Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador

• Constitution monument

• Monument to the Proceres

• Church of the Rosary

• 105 Towers

• El Calvario Church

• San Salvador at Night

• Revolution Monument

• Roble Tower

• Torre Futura

• Giant Financial Center

• Boulevard Monsignor Romero

Siblings that the Mayor of San Salvador has made with other cities and political entities: ​

Hermances

Other political entities

• California State Senate, USA.

Predecessor:   Mexico City

Ibero-American Capital of Culture 2,011

Successor:   Cádiz

• Historic Center of San Salvador
• Metropolitan Area of San Salvador
• Zona Rosa (San Salvador)
• El Salvador
• Indicators of Latin American cities
• HDI departments of El Salvador
• Actual Video of Greater San Salvador