Sonsonate

Maritime department in western El Salvador; area 1,204 sq km/465 sq mi; population (1992 est) 360,200. Originally the autonomous province of Sonsonate, established in 1558, it was incorporated into El Salvador in 1823. It is a rich coffee-growing area and also produces sugar cane, tobacco, rice, balsam, tropical fruits, and hides. Sonsonate is also El Salvador's chief cattle-raising and dairy-farming area. El Salvador's main port, Acajutla, is in the department. The capital is Sonsonate.

The volcano Izalco, in the north of the department, is one of the most recently formed volcanoes in the world and one of the most active in Central America. It is known as the ‘Beacon of the Pacific’, being visible at night from many kilometres out in the Pacific. A growing tourist attraction is the numerous waterfalls in the department, some of which have Indian legends attached to them.

Sonsonate

Town and administrative centre of Sonsonate department, western El Salvador, situated 64 km/40 mi west of San Salvador on the Sensunapa River; population (1994 est) 60,900. It is the commercial centre of a cattle-raising region and produces coffee, sugar, tobacco, rice, fruit, and balsam. It is connected by road with most parts of the country and lies on the San Salvador–Acajutla railway.

The city is one of the country's oldest settlements and, despite the development of modern buildings, still retains much of its colonial atmosphere. Noteworthy is the church of El Pilar (1723) and the cathedral with its 17 cupolas. Pilgrims visit the church of San Antonio del Monte just outside the city, which is said to have miraculous powers.