the Siberian elm and the Chinese elm.
Elms are often about 50 to 70 feet (15
to 21 meters) tall. But some types may
grow higher than 100 feet (30 meters).
The leaves of elms are toothed, which
means that they have jagged edges. The
flowers do not have petals. They grow in
clusters. The fruits, called samaras, are
flat disks that each hold one seed.
People often plant elms because they
grow quickly into beautiful shade trees.
People use elm wood to make boats,
farm buildings, or furniture.
Dutch elm disease has killed many
North American and European elm
trees. A fungus carried by beetles causes
this disease.
#More to explore
Tree
An American elm provides much shade.
Immigrants at Ellis Island in the early 1900s
wait to have a physical examination. Doctors
and inspectors decided who was
healthy enough to be allowed to stay in the
United States.
128 Elm BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest of the seven
countries in Central America. It is also
the most crowded. Its capital is San Salvador.
Geography
The Pacific Ocean forms El Salvador’s
southern border. The country shares
land borders with Guatemala and Honduras.
El Salvador has two mountain
regions with volcanoes. Lowlands along
the coast are generally hot and humid.
Temperatures are cooler in the mountains.
Plants and Animals
Balsa, cedar, mahogany, coconut,
mango, and palm trees grow in El Salvador.
However, many of its forests have
been cleared to make room for farming.
Wilderness preserves protect spider
monkeys, anteaters, mountain lions, and
hummingbirds.
People
Nearly 90 percent of El Salvadorans are
mestizos, or people with mixed American
Indian and European roots. Most
other people are Indians, including the
Izalco and the Pancho. Spanish is the
main language. Most people practice
Roman Catholicism. More than half of
the population lives in cities.
Economy
El Salvador’s economy is based on
manufacturing and farming. Factories
produce mainly food products and
clothing. Clothing and coffee are the
most important exports. Sugarcane and
corn are other important crops.
History
The Pipil Indians probably arrived in
what is now El Salvador about 1,000
years ago. The Spanish reached the
region in 1524 and defeated the Pipil by
1539. Spain ruled the land as a part of
Guatemala until 1821. In 1823 El Salvador
joined the United Provinces of Central
America, a union of five states
formerly ruled by Spain. When the
union broke up, El Salvador became
independent in 1840.
Decades of political violence grew into
civil war by the end of the 1970s. Government
and rebel leaders finally signed
a peace treaty in 1992.
..More to explore
Central America • San Salvador
Facts About
EL SALVADOR
Population
(2008 estimate)
5,794,000
Area
8,124 sq mi
(21,042 sq km)
Capital
San Salvador
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
San Salvador,
Soyapango,
Mejicanos, Santa
Ana, San Miguel
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA El Salvador 129
Emancipation
Proclamation
The American CivilWar pitted Southern
states against Northern states. One
of the major issues was whether the
Southern states should be allowed to
continue owning slaves. During the war,
President Abraham Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation. This document,
issued on January 1, 1863,
declared that the slaves in the Southern
states were free.
The president could not really enforce
the proclamation in places that were still
controlled by Southern troops. Even so,
the proclamation was important because
it made the American CivilWar a fight
about slavery.
The proclamation also opened the U.S.
Army to freed African Americans. As
soon as the Northern armies captured a
region, the slaves there were given their
freedom. Nearly 180,000 of them joined
the Northern forces. They were very
helpful in bringing about the final surrender
of the Southern forces in 1865.
After the war, the 13th Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution ended slavery
throughout the United States.
#More to explore
American CivilWar • Lincoln, Abraham
• Slavery
Empire
Throughout history countries have
wanted to control lands beyond their
borders. This practice is called imperialism,
and the lands that they control are
called an empire. The ruler of an empire
is sometimes called an emperor. Countries
build empires mainly to get power
or wealth.
Building Empires
Sometimes a ruler builds an empire by
taking over nearby lands. One famous
empire of this type was the Roman
Empire of ancient times. The Romans
spread their power from the city of
Rome to lands in Europe, North Africa,
and western Asia.
An empire may also consist of lands far
from the controlling country. Sometimes
a country sends people to live in a new
place overseas. The settlements that
those people set up are called colonies.
In the 1600s, for example, England sent
people to set up colonies in eastern
North America. Those colonies eventually
became the United States.
Sometimes, instead of sending many
settlers, a country sends only a few
President Abraham Lincoln called the
Emancipation Proclamation “the greatest
event of the 19th century.”
130 Emancipation Proclamation BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
