Departments of El Salvador

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Updates: 

El Salvador announced in early May, 2006 that it would adopt daylight saving time this year if Honduras did. Honduras did, but El Salvador then delayed its final decision for two weeks. The two weeks have gone by, and there is a deafening silence from El Salvador. As far as I can tell, the DST proposal has been abandoned.

Country overview: 

El Salvador has been an independent country since 1841. There has been no change to the names, number, or capitals of its departments in the 20th century. The capital of La Libertad has had two names, but they have both been in use throughout the century.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: El Salvador
2. Dutch: El Salvador, Republiek El Salvador (formal)
3. English: Republic of El Salvador (formal), Salvador (obsolete)
4. Finnish: El Salvador
5. French: El Salvador m, Salvador m
6. German: El Salvador n
7. Italian: El Salvador m
8. Norwegian: El Salvador, Republikken El Salvador (formal)
9. Portuguese: El Salvador, Salvador, República f de El Salvador m (formal), República f do Salvador m (formal)
10. Spanish: El Salvador, República f de El Salvador m (formal)
11. Swedish: El Salvador

Origin of name: 

After the city of San Salvador, Spanish for Holy Savior, in honor of Christ

Primary subdivisions: 

El Salvador is divided into fourteen departamentos (departments).

Postal codes: 

The Universal Postal Union's document states that El Salvador uses five-digit postal codes, in which the first two digits indicate the department. I have not been able to find actual examples of their use.

Further subdivisions:

See the Municipios of El Salvador page.

Territorial extent: 

There are long-standing boundary disputes between El Salvador and Honduras.

La Unión includes some islands in the Gulf of Fonseca, of which the largest are Isla Meanguera, Isla Conchagüita, and Isla Zacatillo.

Origins of names: 

1. Cabañas: Spanish for huts, cabins.
2. La Libertad: Spanish for liberty.
3. La Paz: Spanish for peace.
4. La Unión: Spanish for union, unity.
5. Morazán: Named for Francisco Morazán (1799-1842), Central American revolutionary.
6. San Salvador: Spanish for Holy Savior.

Population history: