Turning Points in El Salvador's History
The history of El Salvador has seen a large amount of wars, tribulations, and conflict. Since the beginning of this nation, El Salvador has struggled to sustain a steady form of government. Looking at this country's history, it is evident that many of these turning points in history are due to the political and economic statuses of the country. El Salvador's birth as an independent country took many years to establish. As a matter of fact, it actually took over thirty years. The country became independent of Spain first and quickly, but then there was the struggle to become independent of Guatemalan control. El Salvador finally won its independence from Guatemalan control and became an entirely independent country in 1840. Starting out as a newly independent country was not easy for El Salvador's people. The distribution of power and control was confused and the country was run under a military dictatorship. A result of this was the El Salvadoran Civil War. A man known as Marti led a revolution of farmers, Native Americans, and other Salvadorans. However, the Salvadoran army was ordered to defeat this revolt. In the days following, Marti and his revolt was defeated. The army killed between 10,000 to 30,000 rural Salvadorans. This was such a devastating event and so many lives were lost, it is called La Matanza, or The Massacre.
On a more economical note, The Coffee Revolution shaped El Salvador's economy. Coffee is the most highly produced crop in El Salvador because it is also the most demanded. The coffee industry produced steady results. Because of this, it became what El Salvador based its economy on. A result of this was an even deeper gap between the wealthy and the poor in El Salvador. This would prove to cause issues later in history. Coffee is still the cherished crop in El Salvador today. The Civil War in El Salvador was between the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMNL) and the country's government. The civil war lasted twelve years. Once the FMNL and the government signed a peace agreement in 1991, the war saw an end.
Today, El Salvador continues to build up from its troubled past. There have been many victories and triumphs in trial. The government is better now because of it. It is no longer a military dictatorship. The country holds presidential elections. An exciting election was the one held in 2004. This is because Ana Vilma de Escobar was elected as Vice President. She is the first female vice president to the country. This election was also a victory for the ARENA party which is now serving its fourth term in a row.
On a more economical note, The Coffee Revolution shaped El Salvador's economy. Coffee is the most highly produced crop in El Salvador because it is also the most demanded. The coffee industry produced steady results. Because of this, it became what El Salvador based its economy on. A result of this was an even deeper gap between the wealthy and the poor in El Salvador. This would prove to cause issues later in history. Coffee is still the cherished crop in El Salvador today. The Civil War in El Salvador was between the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMNL) and the country's government. The civil war lasted twelve years. Once the FMNL and the government signed a peace agreement in 1991, the war saw an end.
Today, El Salvador continues to build up from its troubled past. There have been many victories and triumphs in trial. The government is better now because of it. It is no longer a military dictatorship. The country holds presidential elections. An exciting election was the one held in 2004. This is because Ana Vilma de Escobar was elected as Vice President. She is the first female vice president to the country. This election was also a victory for the ARENA party which is now serving its fourth term in a row.
El Salvador's Early Settlement
El Salvador's Early Settlement on Dipity. | |