List of rivers of El Salvador facts for kids
El Salvador is a country in Central America. It has many rivers that are very important for its people and nature. These rivers help with farming, provide drinking water, and are home to many animals.
El Salvador has 58 main river basins. A river basin is like a giant funnel. It's an area of land where all the rain and water eventually flow into one main river, and then usually out to the ocean. In El Salvador, all these river basins drain into the Pacific Ocean. This means all the water from these rivers ends up in the Pacific.
Every year, a huge amount of water, about 19 million cubic meters, flows from El Salvador's rivers into the Pacific Ocean. That's enough water to fill many, many swimming pools!
Some areas in El Salvador have special basins called endorheic basins. This means the water in these areas does not flow out to the ocean. Instead, it collects in a lake or a low-lying area and stays there, often evaporating over time. The largest endorheic basin in El Salvador is linked to Coatepeque Lake. This beautiful lake is actually inside a volcanic crater!
Rivers Flowing to the Pacific Ocean
Most of El Salvador's rivers flow directly into the Pacific Ocean. Here is a list of some of the most important ones. Rivers that flow into a larger river are listed underneath it and indented.
- Paz River
- Cara Sucia River
- Copinula River
- Sensunapan River
- Banderas River
- Pululuya River
- Comalapa River
- Jiboa River
- Lempa River
- Jalponga River
- El Guayabo River
- El Potrero River
- El Molino River
- Río Grande de San Miguel
- Sirama River
- Goascorán River
Special Lakes and Basins
As mentioned, not all water in El Salvador flows to the ocean. Some areas have special basins where water collects in lakes.
Coatepeque Lake
Coatepeque Lake is the biggest endorheic basin in El Salvador. This means the water that flows into Coatepeque Lake stays there. It doesn't have an outlet river that carries its water to the ocean. The lake is very popular for tourism and is known for its changing water colors.
See also
- List of rivers of the Americas by coastline
