San Miguel () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in eastern

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south ...

. It is the country's third most populous city. It is located 138 km east of the capital,

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital it ...

. It is also the capital of the department of San Miguel and a municipality. The population of the city in 2017 was 518,410.

History

Luis de Moscoso Alvarado established the village of San Miguel de la Frontera (Saint Michael of the Frontier) on May 8, 1530, as a bastion for the conquest of the Lenca kingdom of Chaparrastique (Place of Beautiful Orchids). By 1586 the village had obtained the title of

. In 1655, a volcanic eruption almost destroyed the entire city. According to legend, the devastation was so severe that only an image of Mary in the parish church was spared.

Economy

The city has been an important center of the agriculture, textile and chemical industries of

. Since the early 21st century, the services sector, especially health care and commerce, have increased considerably, resulting in significant private investments in hospitals and shopping malls within the city. This has usually been attributed partly to the high inflow of remittances (at least 35% of the total, which represents around 18% of the national GDP "CARACTERÍSTICAS DE LOS REMITENTES DE REMESAS FAMILIARES DESDE ESTADOS UNIDOS"
/ref>) that Salvadorans living abroad send to families in the eastern zone of the country. The incomes and wealth of the eastern half of the country are expected to increase following new jobs and businesses associated with the development of the Puerto La Unión; it started operations in 2012.

Education

There are many educational institutions within the city, private and public, including some of the oldest schools in the country. The main universities are the public University of El Salvador ( with its Facultad Multidiciplinaria de Oriente) and the private Universidad de Oriente (UNIVO).The University Gerardo Barrios, the University Modular Abierta.

Sports

The sports infrastructure of San Miguel has had significant development and modernization since the beginning of the past decade. The main sports centers are the national football stadium of "Juan Francisco Barraza", the "Polideportivo Don Bosco" and the Charlaix Stadium.

Culture

In November, San Miguel celebrates its municipal festivities in honor of "Nuestra Señora De La Paz" (Our Lady of Peace), the San Miguel Carnival being the final and main event that takes place on the last Saturday of the month. With an estimate of 1,000,000 people attending it for its 50th anniversary (as reported by the local media), it is considered the biggest entertainment, music and food festival in El Salvador and one of the largest in Central America. The beginnings of the Carnival itself date from 1959. Currently, this tradition continues to reflect the growth of the city and one of the motors for its economy. San Miguel Roosevelt 2011

San Miguel is famous for its night life along Roosevelt Avenue, the main thoroughfare that slices the city in half. One of those halves includes places of historical interest such as the Cathedral of "Nuestra Señora de la Paz" (1862), Guzman Park,

Francisco Gavidia Francisco Antonio Gavidia Guandique (1863 in San Miguel - 24 September 1955 in San Salvador) was a prominent Salvadoran writer, historian, politician, speaker, translator, educator and journalist. His poetry evolved from romanticism to a refle ...

Theater (1909) and the Palacio Municipal (1935). The other half, modern San Miguel, includes new neighborhoods called "colonias." Famous people born in San Miguel include Captain General Gerado Barrios, writer

, poet Juan J. Cañas, and

David Joaquín Guzmán David Joaquín Guzmán (1843–1927) was a Salvadoran polymath, making contributions in science, and archeology, and as a museum curator and educator. He essentially founded and was first director of what is now known as the ''Museo Nacional de ...

. The city is flanked by the Volcan Chaparrastique (2,129 meters), perhaps the most iconic image of San Miguel. San Miguel is a sister city of

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

Climate

file:Calles_de_San_Miguel,_El_Salvador.jpg, A street of San Miguel file:Iglesia_El_Calvario_San_Miguel_El_Salvador.jpg, The El Calvario Catholic church in San Miguel file:Hospital_Sn_Francisco.jpg, San Francisco Hospital in San Miguel file:Tercera_Brigada_de_Infanteria_El_Salvador_2012.jpg, The Third Infantry Brigade's headquarters in San Miguel

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of the San Miguel Department (El Salvador) 1530 establishments in the Spanish Empire 1530 establishments in North America Populated places established in 1530