Ninety percent of this falls between the months of May and October. On the coastal plain it is slightly warmer. El Salvador has suffered repeatedly from natural catastrophes. Earthquakes have badly damaged or destroyed the city of San Salvador on 14 occasions. Major eruptions of the nearby volcano of Boquer n last occurred in 1917.
Hurricanes are rare, but severe droughts have caused widespread losses.
When the Spanish entered El Salvador, they encountered a dense population of Indians. Since the countryside was open, Spaniards managed to settle throughout the land. Thus most of the natives came under their direct influence. Because of this, Indians gradually adapted many European customs and came to be classified as Ladinos. Today Indians make up less than 5 percent of the population.