Cuscatlán

Cuscatlán was the historical name for the region that is now El Salvador, meaning "Land of the Jewel" in the Pipil language. The Pipil people, descendants of the Aztecs, were the predominant tribe in the area before the Spanish conquest.1

The Spanish conquest began in 1524, with expeditions led by Pedro de Alvarado encountering resistance from the Pipil tribe. Despite initial setbacks, the Spanish founded the town of San Salvador near the Pipil capital of Cuscatlán in 1525, though it was resettled several times before permanent establishment in 1528. The region became an agricultural center, initially exporting cocoa and later indigo, which led to the development of large estates. The modern ethnic composition of El Salvador reflects the intermingling of Pipil and other tribes with European settlers.21