| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
South America |
| Geographical Location |
10° 00' South Latitude
76° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
1,285,220 sq km |
| Climate |
Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes |
| Natural Resources |
Copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Peru |
| Capital City |
Lima |
| Government Type |
Constitutional republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho,
Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali |
| Independence Day |
28 July 1821 (from Spain) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
27,925,628 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Peruvian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.) |
| Languages |
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.36% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Nuevo sol (PEN) |
| Industries |
Mining and refining of minerals and metals, petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas, fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing, steel, metal fabrication |
| Labor Force |
11 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001) |
| Agriculture Products |
Coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee |
| Export Partners |
US 29.5%, China 9.8%, UK 8%, Chile 5.3%, Japan 4.7%, Switzerland 4.4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper |
| Import Partners |
US 29.2%, Spain 8.5%, Chile 6.9%, Brazil 5.6%, Colombia 5.2%, China 4% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
3,462 km |
| Highways |
78,230 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 388 km; oil 1,557 km; refined products 13 km (2004) |
| Airports |
234 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+51 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.pe |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533.
Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980,
but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the
economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s
generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster
by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government; his presidency
has been hampered by allegations of corruption. |
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