grew enormously. Over time, with changes in settlement patterns and the inevitable urbanization of the place, the Deininger family supported the idea of protecting and preserving the wooded area now known as the La Laguna Botanical Garden. It was opened on December 22, 1978, and since then annually receives an average of 24,000 students. The Garden has a herbarium, a computerized database and a library specializing in plant taxonomy. Staff maintain constant exchanges with other foreign and different herbal specialists who collaborate in the identification of samples collected in El Salvador. Geography Antiguo Cuscatlan is in the municipality of the District of Nueva San Salvador, La Libertad department. It is bordered on the north by San Salvador, on the east by San Salvador and San Marcos, south of Nuevo Cuscatlan, and west by Nueva San Salvador. It is located in the geographic coordinates 13° 42'29 'LN (northern end) and 13° 37'56' LN (southern end), 89° 13'29 LWG (eastern end) and 89° 16'46 LWG (west end). Soils Soil types found in the municipality are: Andosols and Regosols, Inceptisols and Entisols (phases of rolling to ALOM) and Regosols, reddish clay and Anaosoles, Latosols, Entisols, Alfisols and Inceptisols (phases rolling to rugged mountain). There are volcanic detrital sediments with pyroclastic material and lava flows interspersed, pyroclastic material and andesitic and basaltic lavas. Hydrography The main river is the Chavez or Peche, rising to south of the town of Antiguo Cuscatlan, the confluence of two small unnamed streams. Its length within the town is 2 kilometers. Terrain There are two mountains in the area: The Horse and El Rosario. The Cerro La Montaña is located 4.1 kilometers southwest of the town of Antiguo Cuscatlan, and has an elevation of 1005 meters above sea level. El Rosario is located south from the city of Antiguo Cuscatlan, and has an elevation of 1025 meters above sea level. The Horse is located southwest of the town of Antiguo Cuscatlan, and has an elevation of 1032/3385 ft meters above sea level. Climate The amount of annual rainfall varies between 1,800 and 2,200 millimeters. Due to the high altitude (3385 ft) Antiguo Cuscatlan has a cool climate compared to the rest of the AMSS. The hottest months in Antiguo Cuscatlan are March, April and May, with a mean high of 30C. The coolest months of the year are November, December, January and February with a mean high of 28C