A major processing center for El Salvador's sizable coffee bean industry is located near Santa Ana.

There is a major Hydroelectric Power station at the Guajoyo river that provides electricity to most of the western sector of the country.

North of the plateau is the mountain range-Comecayo Mita, in which small rise orographic configurations including the Tecan, Pinalito, Pinalón, Santa Lucia and Camones hills.

In which, the continuous tropical storms and hurricanes increase the flow of rivers, damaging some areas with flooding.

The first name of the settlement is unknown, however, it is known that when the Pipil entered and conquered the area in 1200 during the post-classic period, translated the original Nahuatl name, which was Sihuatehuacán, which means place of priestesses.

Sihuatehuacán was located in what is now the suburb of Santa Barbara, west of the Apanchacal and Apanteos rivers.

[10] In 1894, a revolution that would overthrew President Carlos Ezeta, who had ruled the country as de facto dictator (from the current headquarters of the Second Infantry Brigade of Santa Ana) occurred.

La Hacienda El Molino, owned by the Colombian Rafael Alvarez, was the main plantation and coffee processing plant because of its fame and its technological modernism at the time.

[13] During the civil war in El Salvador (1980–1992), the municipality of Santa Ana was also affected by armed conflict, which led to the emigration of many residents of the city.

After the war, Santa Ana and all of El Salvador began to address the problem of rising crime rates,[14] mostly due to the existence of "maras" or gangs, mainly generated by the deportation of illegal immigrants from the United States.

[15][16] Since the civil war, the municipality has received allowances sent by Salvadorians living abroad to their friends and family.

[17] In 1999 the Urban Development Master Plan (PLAMADUR) was launched by the municipal administration of Moses Macall Monterrosa.

[citation needed] The city of Santa Ana has 183 schools according to statistics from the Salvadoran Ministry of Education, out of those 53 are private.

Santa Ana today is the second largest city in population and importance in El Salvador.

[citation needed] Fiestas Julias is a big traditional celebration in Santa Ana during the 15 through the 31 of July.

[20] The culture[21] of Santa Ana and all of El Salvador is a result of the influence of the pre-Columbian indigenous inhabitants and the Spanish colonization.

[27] Another is the Aja Museum, developed by the movement Siglo XXIII, which promotes culture and popular art.

Other establishments used for the presentation of performing arts are the Cine Principal (Main Theatre) and the Centro Municipal de Usos Múltiples El Palmar.

Their home stadium is Estadio Óscar Quiteño, built in 1963 with an approximate capacity of 20,000 fans.

Other religious groups, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (better known as Mormons) and Jehovah's Witnesses also have followers here.