Guatemala vs. El Salvador
Geography
| Guatemala | El Salvador | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 30 N, 90 15 W | 13 50 N, 88 55 W |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area | total: 108,889 sq km land: 107,159 sq km water: 1,730 sq km | total: 21,041 sq km land: 20,721 sq km water: 320 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | about the same size as New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,667 km border countries (4): Belize 266 km, El Salvador 199 km, Honduras 244 km, Mexico 958 km | total: 590 km border countries (2): Guatemala 199 km, Honduras 391 km |
| Coastline | 400 km | 307 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands | tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
| Terrain | two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands | mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 759 m | highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 442 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower | hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 14.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.2% (2018 est.) forest: 33.6% (2018 est.) other: 25.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 74.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 33.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 30.7% (2018 est.) forest: 13.6% (2018 est.) other: 11.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,375 sq km (2012) | 452 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, is one of the country's most active volcanoes with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note" | known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes volcanism: significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (1,893 m), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (2,130 m), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note | note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean respectively), there are no natural harbors on the west coast note 2: Guatemala is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire | smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea |
| Total renewable water resources | 127.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 26.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas | athough it is the smallest country in land area in Central America, El Salvador has a population that is 18 times larger than Belize; at least 20% of the population lives abroad; high population density country-wide, with particular concentration around the capital of San Salvador |
Source: CIA Factbook
