El Salvador’s indigenous roots go back some 4000 years, when Olmecs arrived from eastern Mexico. They were followed by various other groups, including the Lenca and the Maya. The Spanish conquered the country in 1525, adding it to their growing empire. El Salvador’s indigenous people were subsequently enslaved and forced to work on cotton and indigo plantations.

El Salvador, along with its neighboring Central American countries, gained their independence from Spain in 1821. Eventually, El Salvador adopted its own constitution and declared itself a republic. Coffee became El Salvador’s leading export, and coffee plantations sprang up throughout the country, concentrating the nation’s wealth in the hands of a few elite land-owning families.

Economic imbalance and political oppression in El Salvador led to civil strife during the 20th century. The country endured a brutal civil war between 1979 and 1992. Thousands were killed and driven from their homes. Government troops and FMLN rebels signed a peace agreement in 1992, which resulted in land redistribution and investigations into alleged human rights abuses.

El Salvador continues to struggle with social and economic challenges. In an attempt to attract foreign investors, the government of El Salvador adopted the U.S. dollar its official currency in 2000. Natural disasters have also recently hampered El Salvador’s development, including Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and two devastating earthquakes. The latest quake in January 2001 killed over 1000 people and destroyed an estimated 145,000 homes.