San Miguel

San Miguel, city, east-central El Salvador, at the foot of San Miguel and Chinameca volcanoes. Founded in 1530 by Spanish settlers near the west bank of the Río Grande de San Miguel, the city was badly damaged by a severe earthquake in 1917. It was rebuilt and has become one of the largest cities of El Salvador.

San Miguel’s position east-southeast of San Salvador on the Inter-American Highway (a section of the Pan-American Highway) and on the International Railways of Central America make it the most important commercial centre of eastern El Salvador. The city’s industries include the production of textiles, rope, and leather goods. Henequen (a fibre for twine), grain, coffee, cotton, and sugarcane are grown in the surrounding agricultural area. San Miguel has modern municipal buildings, an 18th-century cathedral, and a branch of the University of El Salvador. The town’s industries suffered disruptions during the early 1980s because of fighting between government troops and leftist guerrillas. The ruins of an ancient Indian town are nearby. Pop. (2005 est.) urban area, 183,200.