Karl Brandon, age 14, of Phoenix, Ariz., for his question:
WHEN DID EL SALVADOR START AS A NATION
E1 Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It also ranks as the smallest mainland country in the Western hemisphere. The country's date of organization could be called 1525 because that is when an explorer named Pedro de Alvarado claimed the land that is now E1 Salvador for Spain.
Indians were the first people to live in what is now E1 Salvador. The Nahua Indians arrived from Mexico as early as 3000 B.C. Later other Indians settle in the regions.
Ruins of large limestone pyramids built by the Maya Indians between A.D. 100 and 1000 stand in western E1 Salvdaor.
The Pipil tribe seized control of the lands west of the Lempa River during the 1000s. The Pipil built large cities, raised corn and other crops and were expert weavers.
In 1524, Spanish soldiers led by Alvarado invaded. After a fierce struggle, the Spanish defeated the Pipil and other tribes the next year. E1 Salvador then remained a Spanish colony for almost 300 years.
Alvarado founded the city of San Salvador in 1525 and named it for the Roman Catholic feast of San Salvador del Mundo, which means Holy Savior of the World. The entire country later was named for the city.
During the colonial period, most of the people farmed the land and raised cattle. Many Indians adopted Spanish ways of life during this period.
In 1821, after almost 300 years of Spanish rule, E1 Salvador and Spain's other Central American colonies broke away. They drew up a consitition and formed a federation called the United Provinces of Central America in 1823.
The union began to collapse in 1838 and E1 Salvador declared its complete independence in 1841.
Political violence shook E1 Salvador during the first 60 years of independence. Five presidents were overthrown by force and two others were executed. The strong dictators of neighboring countries, including Rafael Carrera of Guatemala, controlled several weak Salvadoran presidents.
But then after 1900, the Salvadoran government became more stable. Most of the presidents were wealthy landowners who passed on the office to a relative or close friend. In addition, the country started to prosper with the large scale cultivation of coffee and other farm products for export.
In 1931, General Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez seized the government and ruled as a dictator for 12 years.
Another period of turbulence followed. Presidents would be elected in strongly disputed elections. Some leaders demanded election reforms only to be met by the banning of free speech. There were also military takeovers by the government.
A junta or council ruled the country until 1961 when it was ousted by another junta.
In 1962, the legislature adopted the present constitution.