El Salvador is a country in Central America and, geographically, is part of continental North America. It is bordered on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean, and lies between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador covers an area of about 21,040 square kilometers (the smallest country in Central America), although it is the most densely populated. El Salvador is home to more than 6,500,000 people. It is divided into 14 sections called Departments. It has 25 volcanoes, 14 lakes, and four large cities. The capital is San Salvador. Its origin comes from the ancient civilization of the Pipils, who called the region Cuzcatlán (Land of precious things).