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Latin America and Caribbean
El Salvador is the smallest Central American country; it is also the most densely populated. Some 37 per cent of the population live in poverty, most of them in rural areas Forty to 50 per cent of the working-age population are unemployed or underemployed. One major problem is the high crime rate, especially among youths.
Studies indicate that El Salvador is one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world. Time and time again tropical cyclones sweep across the country. In November 2009, for instance, many people lost their lives in the flooding and landslides caused by Hurricane Ida. El Salvador is also located in an earthquake-prone region with around 60 active volcanoes. These volcanoes, however, are not just a threat: the volcanic ash in the fertile valleys of El Salvador's highlands also forms a rich soil which is ideal for growing coffee. For two centuries, coffee exports have generated valuable foreign exchange revenue for El Salvador.
By tradition, though, large areas of cultivated land are concentrated in the hands of a few major landowners. Small farmers and seasonal labourers are socially disadvantaged.
In 1979, conflicts over land reform, respect for human rights and more social justice led to a civil war in which more than 70,000 people lost their lives. The war lasted until 1992, when the opposition and the government signed a peace agreement. Since then, El Salvador has been undergoing a process of democratisation. The parliamentary and presidential elections in early 2009 led to the first democratic change of government since the civil war.
Development cooperation
Relations between El Salvador and Germany are good. Being the main market for its coffee, Germany is an important trading partner for El Salvador.
The last bilateral government negotiations took place in 2008. Since then, development cooperation with El Salvador has been targeted toward cross-border and regional cooperation efforts. A regional project in the border region of Trifinio, for instance, contributes to forest protection, the conservation of Salvadorian water resources and disaster risk management. In addition, El Salvador is involved in regional projects focusing on youth violence prevention, sustainable economic development and renewable energies and energy efficiency. In 2008 El Salvador also became one of the first countries to be provided with funds under the German government's Initiative for Climate and Environmental Protection (IKLU).
German Embassy

German Embassy in El Salvador
7a. Calle Poniente, No 3972
esqu. 77a Avenida Norte
Colonia Escalón
San Salvador
El Salvador C.A.
Phone: +503 / 22 47 00 00
Fax: +503 / 22 47 00 99






