EL SALVADOR ( República de El Salvador / KUSKATAN )

El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador (Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally "Republic of The Savior"), is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is San Salvador.  In 1609 the area became the Captaincy General of Guatemala, of which El Salvador was part until its independence from Spain, which took place in 1821, as part of the First Mexican Empire, then later seceded, as part of the Federal Republic of Central America, in 1823. When the Republic dissolved in 1841, El Salvador became a sovereign nation, then formed a short-lived union with Honduras and Nicaragua called the Greater Republic of Central America, which lasted from 1895 to 1898. The colón, the currency of El Salvador since 1892, was replaced by the United States dollar in 2001.

El Salvador shares borders with Guatemala and Honduras, the total national boundary length is 546 km (339 mi): 126 miles (203 km) with Guatemala and 343 km (213 mi) with Honduras. It is the only Central American country that has no Caribbean coastline. The coastline on the Pacific is 307 km (191 mi) long.

El Salvador became independent from Spain in 1821. It has produced its own stamps since 1867. The earliest known postal marking for El Salvador has been found on an entire letter from Santa Ana to Guatemala, July 30, 1780. It bears a pre-philatelic postmark from Santa Ana. The first stamps of El Salvador were issued in 1867, printed by the American Bank Note Company. For several decades, the designs of El Salvador stamps had a clear North American influence as the majority of issues were supplied by American Bank Note Company and the Hamilton Bank Note Company among others. 

From the 1950s onwards, the country started to commission stamps in Europe and also to produce them locally. In recent years, the printing has been mostly done by the Dirección General de Servicios Gráficos (the government printing house in San Salvador) and the subjects depict a combination of events of worldwide importance with local personalities or commemorations. In 1897, El Salvador was one of the few countries to issue stamps for the Avis de réception service.

 

I have received covers from El Salvador before, but this is the first time I got them without damage. Romiro Martinez sent two covers with special protection and as registered. Usually the letters come from central and south American countries reached as torn or wet, sometimes opened or squeezed. So it is a difficult task to get a cover in perfect condition, sometimes double cost too.