El Salvador, which is Spanish for "the saviour" - or Jesus Christ - has been wracked by civil war and a succession of natural disasters.
The tiny country is the most densely-populated state on the mainland of the Americas and is highly industrialised. But social inequality and a susceptibility to earthquakes have shaped much of modern El Salvador.
In the 1980s El Salvador was ravaged by a bitter civil war. This was stoked by gross inequality between a small and wealthy elite, which dominated the government and the economy, and the overwhelming majority of the population, many of whom lived - and continue to live - in abject squalor. The war left around 70,000 people dead and caused damage worth $2bn, but it also brought about important political reforms.
In 1992 a United Nations-brokered peace agreement ended the civil war, but no sooner had El Salvador begun to recover when it was hit by a series of natural disasters, notably Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001. These left at least 1,200 people dead and more than a million others homeless.
The economy depends heavily on the money sent home by Salvadoreans living in the US. Poverty, civil war, natural disasters and their consequent dislocations have left their mark on El Salvador's society, which is among the most crime-ridden in the Americas.
Violent street gangs, known as "maras", have been described by President Saca as a "regional problem that requires regional solutions". One of the most notorious groups was started in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in the US.
President-elect: Mauricio Funes
Mauricio Funes' election victory in March 2009 marked the first time in 20 years that a left-wing leader had come to power in El Salvador.
He defeated his conservative rival from the Arena party which had previously won every election since El Salvador's civil war ended in 1992. Mr Funes is due to take office on 1 June.
Mr Funes' FMLN party ( Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) was founded by Marxist guerillas who were engaged in a conflict against the US-backed government in the 1980s.
At least 75,000 people were killed during the civil war. In 1992 the FMLN signed a peace agreement and re-branded itself as a legitimate political party.
Mr Funes himself was never involved in armed uprising. He gave up his career as TV journalist to run for president.
He is considered a moderate and says he admires US President Barack Obama. Like Mr Obama, he campaigned on a platform of change. Mr Funes says he wants to build a relationship of "understanding and mutual respect" with the United States.
He has also expressed admiration for the economic policies of Brazil's moderate left-wing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Mauricio Funes was born on 18 October 1959. He is married to a Brazilian doctor and has three children.
President (outgoing): Elias Antonio (Tony) Saca
Tony Saca won a five-year term in presidential elections in March 2004. It was the fourth successive victory for the right-wing Arena party.
The former radio and TV sports presenter said he wanted to work with other parties in the government. He promised to crack down on criminal gangs, to strive for transparent government and to promote ties with the US.
Arena has been linked to death-squad murders during the civil war, but Mr Saca stressed that his victory was "a moment to forget all the past". He has rejected calls to scrap amnesty laws, which protect former officials from prosecution.
Mr Saca, who owns a radio network, backs the free-market policies of his Arena party predecessor Francisco Flores.
Antonio Saca was born to Palestinian parents from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Press freedom is guaranteed under El Salvador's constitution, and the media freely and routinely criticise the government and report on opposition activities.
Broadcasting is dominated by private operators, with a handful of national TV networks. There are scores of radio stations in the capital alone.
Cable TV is widely available and carries international channels.
The press
Television
Radio
RELATED INTERNET LINKS
President's office
Legacies of Rebellion: El Salvador
BBC Weather: El Salvador
BBC Mundo.com
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