Evening star., 1901-12-14
Interesting Facts About a Neigh
boring Little Republic.
THE CAPITAL A MODERN CITY
Some of the Leading Industries
of Central America.
EOPLE AND GU STO NJ S

Written for The Evening Star by DR.. Rafael Zaldi-
var.
Since 1899 Salvador has been sovereign
and independent republic Its constitution
was adopted in 1864, and amended In 1885
in the form in which 1t is now in force
The republic may be said to lie In the
northwestern part of Central America,
bounded on the west by the Pacific and
Guatemala and Honduras. on the north by
Honduras, on the east by the Pacific and
Honduras. while the Pacific is on the south
In form 1t is rectangular. Seventy-nine
miles is the average breadth, while the
whole state is 100 miles long. and contains
7255 square miles, 1t is slightly smaller
than New Jersey.
Salvador has but two seasons-the wet
corresponding to our winter. and the dry
or summer season. Beginning In May, the
rainy season continues until October.
The lowlands, near the coast are gen.
orally hot. and there the rainy season is
usually shorter than elsewhere in the re-
public.
But the people. the cities, in fact the in
terests of the country, all lie IN what is
termed the temperate zone. This embraces
the table lands. valleys and mountain
slopes of the interior. and a stranger pass
ing from the coast finds them COOL health
full and delightful.
Population.
The latest census shows a population of
1,1OG,s s4s people. of which 593.S93 are males
and 512.955 females.
Salvador is one of the most densely popu-
lated countries in the world. for there are
1919 inhabitants to the square mile.
Forty per cent of the people are of Euro
pean descent, 0per cent belong to the
mixed race, and the remaining 10 per cent
are Indians of Mexican origin. OF the
mixed race. 1t is to be said that they are
well organized, perfectly assimilated to re-
fined civilization and possess unusual moral
and intellectual qualities. The Indians are
respectful and Industrious, docile and
easily governed
Salvador is compact and thickly popu-
lated so that ii has not been difficult for
the government to follow out its disposition
to extend a paternaI care over the intel
lectual and material development of the
people.
AS a consequence. the inhabitants have
attained a degree of culture which COM
pares with that to be found in cities of
the United States.
San Salvador the Capital.
A picture of San Salvador, the capital
of Salvador, is a representation Of the en-
tire republic. in miniature.
1t Is located on the River Acelhuate,
west of the central part of the republic
at an altitude of ?, 115 feet above the sea.
High mountains tower on all sides of this
peaceful plain, which is nearly eight
miles square.
Salvador is a very old city. Don Jorge,
brother of Alvarado, the cOnqueror, founded
ii April +, 1923, but the site was placed
trifle north of the present location. 1t was
removed 10 the ground it now occupies in
1883 and four years afterward was in
cOrpOrated as city. In 1910 Salvador was
designated the capital of the republic, and
has since retained that distinction.
Perhaps the first feature noticed by the
tourist is the streets, which are well paved
and at night brilliantly lighted. They are
as straight as those of Washington. Two
large public parks compare favorably with
the best in the United States, and, of
course, are far richer than the latter in
brilliant tropical foliage Then. there are
several plazas, squares; and these as
well as the parks are maintained scru-
pulously free from refuse, paper and dirt.