Most El Salvadorans live in the country's subtropical central region of valleys and plateaus. A hot coastal plain lies in the south, and the north is mountainous. Nearly all the land is farmed; coffee is grown in the mountains.
Eighty-nine percent of El Salvador's population is of mixed Indian and Spanish descent. About 60 percent live in rural areas. Although a few Indians have retained many of their old customs and traditions, most people have adopted the Spanish language and culture.
The smallest and most densely populated country in Central America, El Salvador was claimed by the Spanish in 1525. Almost 300 years later, El Salvador declared its independence and, after a brief union with Mexico, joined with four other Central American countries to form a federation. When this union ended in 1838, El Salvador became a republic. The country experienced a period of increasing unrest during the 1970s that culminated in a civil war in the 1980s. In 1992, a peace agreement was reached.