El Salvador Cultural Analysis

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OVERVIEW El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. El Salvador, with coastal land on the Pacific Ocean, is the only Central American country that does not have a coast on the Atlantic Ocean. Mountains divide the country into three different regions: the southern coastal belt, the central valleys and plateaus, and the northern mountains. El Salvador used to be an agricultural country and given the difference in regions, crops also varied, and so did the culture between the three regions; coffee is grown in the mountains and cane on the coast; in the central valleys, corn and beans are grown for private consumption and for sale. As time has passed by, El Salvador has developed and invested more into the services sector and industrialization, the central region is the most industrialized, followed by the two other major cities in the country: San Miguel and Santa Ana. El Salvador, with a population of 6.227 million (World Bank), it is composed of three ethnic groups: Mestizo (a mixture of Spanish and indigenous people), Amerindian 10 and European. Indigenous people were at the bottom of the social hierarchy in colonial times and subject to abuse from their “lords” or people who belonged to upper classes. The majority of the population in El Salvador is now mestizo(a). However, those who have more indigenous features suffer some discrimination and are referred to by the derogatory terms "indios" (Indians) or "negros" (blacks). Given the mix of the origins of its population, the Salvadorean identity Salvadorean national identity is comprised of a mix of indigenous and Spanish influences expressed in food, language, customs, and religious beliefs. HOFSTEDE’S THEORY Power Distance El Salvador is a high power distance culture. There are clearly defined vertical organizational structures with clearly defined roles for those who are at the top and those
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