It is the only Central American country with frontage on only one ocean, the Pacific. Very little of the Indian language and culture survives today. The Spanish colonial architecture was almost entirely religious. Low roofs and solid, massive walls were developed because of frequent earthquakes. Agriculture has been and still is the foundation of the national economy, although industrial growth is on the upswing, especially with the textile industry.
Principal exports are coffee, cotton, sugar, textiles, and shrimp.
Besides textiles, other light industries which are on the rise are food and beverage processing, footwear and clothing, chemical products, petroleum products, and electronics. A land of mountains, hills, and upland plains, El Salvador is crossed by two mountain ranges from west to east. The northern range runs along the border between El Salvador and Honduras while the southern range parallels the seacoast. The southern range contains 20 volcanic peaks, although only two have shown signs of activity in recent years. A central plateau lies between the two mountain ranges, and between the Pacific Ocean and the southern range lies a coastal plain.