departments of El Salvador

{{Infobox subdivision type

| name = Departments of El Salvador

| map = 330px

| territory = {{flag|El Salvador}}

| current_number = 14

| population_range = {{plainlist|

Smallest: Cabañas (143,049)
Largest: San Salvador (1,563,371)

}}

| area_range = {{plainlist|

Smallest: Cuscatlán (756.2 km²)
Largest: Usulután (2,130.4 km²)

}}

| government =

| subdivision = Municipality

}}

El Salvador is divided into 14 departments (Spanish: departamentos) for administrative purposes, subdivided into 44 municipalities (municipios) and 262 districts. The country is a unitary state.

History

June 12, 1824: The first Salvadoran constitution within the Federal Republic of Central America establishes a territorial division of four departments, Sonsonate, San Salvador, San Vicente, and San Miguel. Sonsonate was formerly part of Guatemala before this point.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/constitucion-politica-de-la-republica-de-el-salvador-de-1824/html/9215c899-4b99-40cf-8960-f18fb644c894_2.html|title=Constitución Política de la República de El Salvador de 1824 {{!}} Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes|website=www.cervantesvirtual.com}}

1833-1834: A short lived Department of Tejutla was established from the districts of Metapán and Tejutla in San Salvador.{{cite book|title=Poblamiento, ciudades, regiones y demarcaciones. Sistema de ciudades y demarcaciones territoriales a los efectos de planificación y desarrollo territorial|author=Sistema de Información Territorial|year=2004|publisher=Plan Nacional de Ordenamiento y Desarrollo Territorial|editor=Viceministerio de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano}}

January 22, 1835: The Federal District of San Salvador is separated both from San Salvador department and from the State of Salvador. The remainder of San Salvador department is renamed to Cuscatlan, and Metapan district is transferred to Sonsonate department.{{cite book|author=Lardé y Larín, Jorge|title=El Salvador: historia de sus pueblos, villas y ciudades|editor=Ministerio de Cultura}}

May 17, 1839: Cuscatlán's Olocuitla district and San Vicente's Zacatecoluca district are combined into the new department of La Paz.{{cite book|author=Menéndez, Isidro|title=Recopilación de las Leyes del Salvador|volume=Tomo I|year=1855|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t04tAQAAMAAJ}}

July 30, 1839: The Federal District of San Salvador is dissolved, and San Salvador department is reconstituted, combining the former federal district with Opico district of Cuscatlan.

March 15, 1847: La Paz department is abolished and reincorporated into San Vicente.

February 21, 1852: La Paz department is restored.

February 8, 1855: Santa Ana department is separated from Sonsonate.

February 14, 1855: Chaltenango department is separated from Cuscatlán.

January 26, 1865: La Libertad department is separated from San Salvador.

June 22, 1865: Usulután and La Union departments are separated from San Miguel.

February 12, 1869: Ahuachapán department is separated from Santa Ana.

February 10, 1873: Cabañas department is created from parts of Cuscatlán and San Vicente.

July 14, 1875: Gotera department is separated from San Miguel. It would be renamed to Morazán department on March 14, 1887.

Departments

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
class="unsortable" \| Map ! class="unsortable" \| Flag ! class="unsortable" \| Coat of arms ! Department !ISO Code ! Capital ! Area (km²) ! Population (2024){{cite web\|url=https://censo2024.bcr.gob.sv/wp-content/uploads/tablas-geoportal/2025/TAB_POB_1.pdf\|title=VII Censo de Población y VI de Vivienda 2024 Características de la Población\|trans-title=VII Census of the Population and VI of Housing 2024 Characteristics of the Population\|language=es\|date=2024\|access-date=19 April 2025\|work=Government of El Salvador\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405065139/https://censo2024.bcr.gob.sv/wp-content/uploads/tablas-geoportal/2025/TAB_POB_1.pdf\|archive-date=5 April 2025\|url-status=dead}} ! Municipalities ! Districts
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| Ahuachapán \| SV-AH \| Ahuachapán \| 1,239.6 \| 348,880 \| 3 \| 12
150px \| 75px \| \| Cabañas \| SV-CA \| Sensuntepeque \| 1,103.5 \| 143,049 \| 2 \| 9
150px \| 75px \| \| Chalatenango \| SV-CH \| Chalatenango \| 2,016.6 \| 185,930 \| 3 \| 33
150px \| 75px \| \| Cuscatlán \| SV-CU \| Cojutepeque \| 756.2 \| 244,901 \| 2 \| 16
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| La Libertad \| SV-LI \| Santa Tecla \| 1,652.9 \| 765,879 \| 6 \| 22
150px \| 75px \| \| La Paz \| SV-PA \| Zacatecoluca \| 1,223.6 \| 318,374 \| 3 \| 22
150px \| 75px \| \| La Unión \| SV-UN \| La Unión \| 2,074.3 \| 224,375 \| 2 \| 18
150px \| 75px \| \| Morazán \| SV-MO \| San Francisco Gotera \| 1,447.4 \| 169,784 \| 2 \| 26
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| San Miguel \| SV-SM \| San Miguel \| 2,077.1 \| 447,634 \| 3 \| 20
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| San Salvador \| SV-SS \| San Salvador \| 886.2 \| 1,563,371 \| 5 \| 19
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| San Vicente \| SV-SV \| San Vicente \| 1,184.0 \| 161,857 \| 2 \| 13
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| Santa Ana \| SV-SA \| Santa Ana \| 2,023.2 \| 552,938 \| 4 \| 13
150px \| 75px \| \| Sonsonate \| SV-SO \| Sonsonate \| 1,225.2 \| 470,455 \| 4 \| 16
150px \| 75px \| 50px \| Usulután \| SV-US \| Usulután \| 2,130.4 \| 325,494 \| 3 \| 23

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

class="unsortable" | Map

! class="unsortable" | Flag

! class="unsortable" | Coat of arms

! Department

!ISO Code

! Capital

! Area (km²)

! Population (2024){{cite web|url=https://censo2024.bcr.gob.sv/wp-content/uploads/tablas-geoportal/2025/TAB_POB_1.pdf|title=VII Censo de Población y VI de Vivienda 2024 Características de la Población|trans-title=VII Census of the Population and VI of Housing 2024 Characteristics of the Population|language=es|date=2024|access-date=19 April 2025|work=Government of El Salvador|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405065139/https://censo2024.bcr.gob.sv/wp-content/uploads/tablas-geoportal/2025/TAB_POB_1.pdf|archive-date=5 April 2025|url-status=dead}}

! Municipalities

! Districts

150px

| 75px

| 50px

| Ahuachapán

| SV-AH

| Ahuachapán

| 1,239.6

| 348,880

| 3

| 12