CHAPTER XVIII
Departments—Capital cities—Population—Districts—Salvador Department—City of San Salvador—Situation—Surroundings—Destruction in 1854 by earthquake—Description of catastrophe—Loss of life actually small—Evacuation of city—Recuperative faculty of the people.
The Republic of Salvador is divided into 14 Departments, which are again subdivided into 31 districts, 27 cities, 51 towns, 164 villages, and 215 hamlets. The following table shows the names of such Departments, with their respective capital cities, their population, exclusive of foreigners, and the number of districts which they contain:
| Departments; | Capital Cities | Population | Number of | |
| Districts. | ||||
| Capitals. | Departments. | |||
| San Salvador | San Salvador | 32,000 | 65,000 | 3 |
| La Libertad | New San Salvador | 11,000 | 49,000 | 2 |
| Sonsonate | Sonsonate | 11,500 | 41,500 | 2 |
| Ahuachapán | Ahuachapán | 12,000 | 37,000 | 2 |
| Santa Ana | Santa Ana | 33,750 | 80,500 | 3 |
| Chalatenango | Chalatenango | 6,000 | 54,000 | 2 |
| Cuscatlán | Cojutepeque | 8,000 | 62,000 | 2 |
| Cabañas | Sensuntepeque | 10,000 | 35,000 | 2 |
| San Vicente | San Vicente | 11,000 | 40,500 | 2 |
| La Paz | Zacatecoluca | 6,500 | 70,000 | 2 |
| Usulután | Usulután | 6,000 | 42,000 | 2 |
| San Miguel | San Miguel | 23,000 | 60,000 | 2 |
| Morozán | Gotera | 3,100 | 35,100 | 3 |
| La Unión | La Unión | 3,700 | 35,700 | 2 |
| [5] Total | 177,550 | 707,300 | — | |