▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁in ▁which ▁ 2 0 % - 3 0 % ▁of ▁El ▁Salvador ' s ▁population ▁em igr ated . ▁About ▁ 5 0 % ▁percent , ▁or ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁escaped ▁the ▁country ▁head ed ▁to ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁which ▁was ▁already ▁home ▁to ▁over ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Salvador ans . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁Salvador an ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁family ▁reun ification ▁and ▁new ▁arrival s ▁fle eing ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁natural ▁dis aster s ▁that ▁hit ▁El ▁Salvador , ▁including ▁earth qu akes ▁and ▁h urr ican es . ▁Gang ▁war fare , ▁which ▁made ▁El ▁Salvador ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁dangerous ▁countries ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁sur ge ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁seeking ▁as yl um ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁four ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁de cade , ▁by ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁there ▁were ▁about ▁ 1 . 1 ▁million ▁Salvador an ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁G row th ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁▁ ▁El ▁Salvador ▁has ▁the ▁largest ▁population ▁density ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁third ▁most ▁populated ▁country ▁in ▁Central ▁America