Country Guide

This is one of the smallest countries of Central America, whose weather and climate are described in more detail in the Panama pages.

It is about as large as Wales or the state of Massachusetts and is situated between 13° and 14°N. It is a mountainous country with the highest points reaching over 1,800 m/6,000 ft. It is the only country in this region with no coastline on the Caribbean Sea.

There is a narrow coastal plain on the Pacific shore and this forms the most extensive region of tierra caliente, with a typical hot, tropical climate and a single rainy season between May and October.

Annual rainfall in this lowland is similar to that shown in the table for San Salvador, which is in the lower part of the hill country; here daytime temperatures are similar but with much cooler nights than in the lowlands.

In the higher areas of the tierra templada climatic conditions are similar to those shown for Guatemala City.