El Salvador's history: Most Known Facts

Early Inhabitants

El Salvador was conquered in 1525 by Pedro de Alvarado, a Spanish conquistador. Its original inhabitants were the Pipil Indians, descendants of the Aztecs.

Independence

El Salvador gained its independence from Spain on September 15th, 1821 along with the other Central American countries. Decades after gaining its independence, El Salvador was in numerous revolutions with these other countries.  In 1823, the United Provinces of Central America was formed under Gen. Manuel Jose Arce. When this federation was dissolved in 1838, El Salvador became an independent republic.

The Civil War

El Salvador's Civil War lasted from 1980-1992. It was a war against the Salvadorian government against the leftist and communist forces like the political party FMLN commonly known as the guerilla. The war killed more than 75,000 people and left about 8,000 or so missing.. The violence between both rose, each getting help from different countries. After such a bloody outcome, in 1992 a truce was formed between both groups known as los Acuerdos de Paz.