San Carlos (Nicaragua)

San Carlos is located in the south-east of the Republic of Nicaragua, on Lake Nicaragua and on the border with Costa Rica. The distance to the capital Managua is just under 300 km, Erlangen is around 9,500 km away. San Carlos was founded in the middle of the 16th century by the Spanish as a trading post. In addition to the actual urban area of San Carlos, there are numerous villages and small settlements in the surrounding area, which can often only be reached by long, arduous land or water routes. Around 80% of the population of around 55,000 live in these sub-municipalities belonging to San Carlos.

The municipality is the capital of the administrative district of Río San Juan, a trading center and transshipment point for regional agricultural and livestock products as well as the seat of state authorities. Numerous international non-governmental organizations involved in project work also operate from San Carlos. With two hospitals - one public and one private (which, however, is not important for the care of most San Carleños) - and the health centers located outside, San Carlos provides the people in the region with medical services. Primary and secondary schools provide education for children. In addition, a small university, which is fully recognized by the Nicaraguan state, trains the next generation of agricultural engineers and teachers needed in the region.

The expansion of the road between Managua and San Carlos a few years ago has changed a lot for the city on Lake Nicaragua. Whereas the journey to the capital Managua used to be long and arduous - up to 18 hours on dirt roads - the journey time by public bus has been reduced to 6-8 hours. A great relief for the San Carleños. At the same time, the road has led to a steady increase in the population. More and more people are moving to San Carlos, often settling in wildly growing neighborhoods without electricity or access to clean drinking water. Another new development for San Carlos is the increase in tourism. The city is an excellent starting point, for example for visiting the beautiful Solentiname archipelago or exploring the Río San Juan and the Indio Maíz nature reserve.

Over the past 25 years, the main focus of the partnership between Erlangen and San Carlos has been on supporting vital projects, in which the people of Erlangen have repeatedly participated with donations. In particular, the focus has been on expanding medical care in San Carlos. In 2006, for example, a hospital room for the treatment of post-operative patients was put into operation with financial help from Erlangen, and the following year the construction of the children's ward was financed with Erlangen's help. Beyond this, however, the encounter between people from both countries with their different cultures and mentalities is not forgotten. In particular, the regular volunteer work of young people from San Carlos and Erlangen contributes to the exchange and mutual understanding.

In the meantime, the partnership has expanded to include many other areas: Support for the women's aid project ARETE, improvement of the drinking water supply and school projects. Especially with the founding of the association Städtepartnerschaft Erlangen - San Carlos e.V., an important player has been added to the town twinning, which actively pursues a wide range of activities for San Carlos. A special feature of the Erlangen-San Carlos town twinning is the diversity of players and interested parties in Erlangen.