Although El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, it has many sites and natural landmarks. It is often called the “Land of the Volcanoes” because its topography is mainly mountainous. The country of El Salvador has a relatively low average elevation, at 442 meters above sea level. It is also the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America, with a land area of 21,041 square kilometers (8,124 square miles). The highest point is Cerro El Pital (2,730 meters / 8,957 feet), located on the border with Honduras.

The border with Guatemala was established in 1938, while the border with Honduras was settled in 1992, with the last disputed section being officially demarcated in 2006. El Salvador has a tropical climate year-round, though it can get cold in higher elevations, such as El Pital and Chalatenango. It is bordered by Honduras to the northeast, Guatemala to the northwest, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

El Salvador is home to over twenty volcanoes, at least six of which are considered active. Due to its location in an unstable geological zone, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. San Salvador, the capital, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1854 and struck again in 1919, 1965, 1986, and 2001. Nearly 150 rivers flow across the country into the Pacific Ocean, but only the Lempa River is partially navigable (260 km / 162 mi). There are three main lakes: Lake Guija, near the Guatemalan border; Lake Coatepeque; and Lake Ilopango, near San Salvador.