Located on the Pacific coast between Guatemala and Honduras, El Salvador is the smallest of all Central American countries, but they celebrate independence in a big way. Student bands practice for months, preparing to march in local parades, with the biggest parade taking place in the capital city of San Salvador.

Independence day in El Salvador starts with parades orchestrated by schools across the country as well as a military parade. They all converge at the national gymnasium, where the president greets the students and the military puts on a show with parachutes and planes flying overhead.

In 1823, the United Provinces of Central America was formed of the five Central American states under Gen. Manuel Jose Arce. El Salvador declared itself an independent republic in 1839, although the next several decades were marked by frequent revolutions.

The source of the discontent of the indigenous people was the constant abuse and the lack of land to cultivate. The problem of land distribution has been the source of many political conflicts in Salvadoran history. The Central American federation was dissolved in 1838 and El Salvador became an independent republic.

White Salvadorans Spaniards began to settle in El Salvador in the mid 1520’s. Some 12.7% of Salvadorans are white. This population is made up of those of Spanish origin, while there are also Salvadorans of French, German, Swiss, English, Irish, and Italian descent.

Overall, the 10 largest Hispanic origin groups—Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Hondurans, Ecuadorians and Peruvians—make up 92% of the U.S. Hispanic population.

24.31%