El Salvador Listen/ɛl ˈsælvədɔr/ (Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally “Republic of The Savior”) is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country’s capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country as well as Central America. El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the countries of Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east.