The Language
As with most Central American countries, the national language of El Salvador is Spanish. Even though there is small population of the indigenous people still living there, the native languages have all but died out. They faded so much, that only the oldest individuals still speak it. Because of the massacre of the Indians that occurred in 1932, the languages were further eroded. It was during this point in the country's history where the indigenous people had to abandon their language, their customs, and lifestyle, in order to survive. Pipil and Chilanga are now spoken by less than 2,000 Indians. The way these ancient languages live on is through the names of El Salvador's geographical features. Some examples are the Izalco Volcano, the Lempa River, and Lake Coatepeque. These landmarks retained their names in the indigenous language.
Although Spanish is spoken in El Salvador like the countries surrounding it, it is closer to the Spanish spoken in Spain. Expressions and some words do vary, of course. Unlike in other countries, the Spanish spoken in El Salvador is spoken clearly and precisely, with every syllable pronounced in words. The people are typically very articulate. Furthermore, some words may not be the same in El Salvador and other countries, such as Honduras. They may be different words, but mean the same thing. For example, in El Salvador a soda is a gaseosa ("ga-see-ohsa", 3 syllables), but in Nicaragua its a fesco ( "Fray-skoh", 2 syllables). Something that El Salvador and other Central American countries share is that the people tend to pronounce the "s", "z", and soft "c" sound into the the same sound "s". Zacatecas, a Mexican city, would be pronounced "sa-ka-techa-as". Animal references are also something found in Salvadorean Spanish. After a long day of walking around, a person may say "Me duelan las patas". The English equivalent to this is "My dog's feet are hurting me". Children may also be referred to as "patojos", a word that derives from the Spanish word for duck.
Although Spanish is spoken in El Salvador like the countries surrounding it, it is closer to the Spanish spoken in Spain. Expressions and some words do vary, of course. Unlike in other countries, the Spanish spoken in El Salvador is spoken clearly and precisely, with every syllable pronounced in words. The people are typically very articulate. Furthermore, some words may not be the same in El Salvador and other countries, such as Honduras. They may be different words, but mean the same thing. For example, in El Salvador a soda is a gaseosa ("ga-see-ohsa", 3 syllables), but in Nicaragua its a fesco ( "Fray-skoh", 2 syllables). Something that El Salvador and other Central American countries share is that the people tend to pronounce the "s", "z", and soft "c" sound into the the same sound "s". Zacatecas, a Mexican city, would be pronounced "sa-ka-techa-as". Animal references are also something found in Salvadorean Spanish. After a long day of walking around, a person may say "Me duelan las patas". The English equivalent to this is "My dog's feet are hurting me". Children may also be referred to as "patojos", a word that derives from the Spanish word for duck.
The People
The population of El Salvador is not very mixed. It is divided between three major races. The first is the mestizo population. Mestizos are people who have a mixed heritage of Spanish-Europeans and Indians. The Mestizo, Hispanic, or Latino population dominates in the country. Eight-six point three percent of the people are mestizos. The other group of people that makes up the country's population are the white/Europeans. They make up a small 12% of the population. The smallest race is the indigenous population, only making up about 1% of the total population. There are other races in El Salvador, but they make up only a fraction of the total.