Which is the only Central American country without a Caribbean coastline?

The long relatively narrow strip of land, or Isthmus, which connects North and South America is known as Central America. The region is made up of seven nations; Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and El Salvador. The Isthmus separates the Pacific Ocean to the west from the Caribbean Sea (which is part of the Atlantic) to the east.

Of the seven countries, only El Salvador lacks a Caribbean coastline. It is also the smallest of the seven. With a total land area of about 8,124 sq mi (21,041 km2). El Salvador is approximately the same size as the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As the smallest country in continental America, El Salvador has been affectionately nicknamed the “Tom Thumb of the Americas”.

What the nation lacks in physical size it makes up for with population density; as of 2018 the country had a population of approximately 6.42 million. There are also a large number of geographical features crammed within its borders, including 20+ volcanoes, and 300 rivers.

Although the country is blocked from the Caribbean on the east by Honduras and Guatemala, it is not without incredible beaches of its own; El Salvador is bordered along the south by the Pacific Ocean.

El Salvador’s 191 miles (307 km) of Pacific coastline make it a popular surfing destination (the waves can be intense), and the town of Playa El Tunco (a “two-street” surfing/hippie/beach town) boasts caves to explore as well as incredible sunset views, as shown in photo.