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Background:
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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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Location:
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Western
South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean,
between Chile and Ecuador |
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00
S, 76 00 W |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total:
1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Alaska |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
5,536 km
border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil
1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.),
Ecuador 1,420 km |
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Coastline:
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2,414
km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial
sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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varies
from tropical in east to dry desert in west;
temperate to frigid in Andes |
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Terrain:
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western
coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in
center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon
Basin (selva) |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m |
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Natural resources:
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copper,
silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore,
coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 2.89%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 96.71% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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11,950
sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes,
tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic
activity |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation
(some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of
the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil
erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima;
pollution of rivers and coastal waters from
municipal and mining wastes |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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shares
control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi,
a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon
River
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Population:
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27,925,628
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 31.5% (male 4,479,278/female 4,323,356)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 8,891,785/female
8,776,343)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 685,179/female
769,687) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
24.95 years
male: 24.69 years
female: 25.21 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.36%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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20.87
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.26
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.03
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
31.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 69.53 years
male: 67.77 years
female: 71.37 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.56
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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82,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,200
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Amerindian
45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white
15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 90%, other 10% |
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Languages:
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Spanish
(official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large
number of minor Amazonian languages |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.2%
female: 86.8% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Peru
conventional short form: Peru
local long form: Republica del Peru
local short form: Peru |
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Government type:
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constitutional
republic |
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Capital:
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Lima |
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Administrative divisions:
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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
note: some reports indicate that the 24
departments and 1 constitutional province are now
being referred to as regions; Peru is implementing a
decentralization program whereby these 25
administrative divisions will begin to exercise
greater governmental authority over their
territories; in November 2002, voters chose their
new regional presidents and other regional leaders;
the authority that the regional governments will
exercise has not yet been clearly defined, but it
will be devolved to the regions over the course of
several years |
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Independence:
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28 July
1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day, 28 July (1821) |
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Constitution:
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31
December 1993 |
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Legal system:
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based
on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal and compulsory until the age
of 70; note - members of the military and national
police may not vote |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique
(since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government;
additionally, the constitution provides for two vice
presidents, First Vice President (vacant) and Second
Vice President David WAISMAN Rjavinsthi (since 28
July 2001)
head of government: President Alejandro
TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of
government; additionally, the constitution provides
for two vice presidents, First Vice President
(vacant) and Second Vice President David WAISMAN
Rjavinsthi (since 28 July 2001)
note: Prime Minister Carlos FERRERO Costa
(since 15 December 2003) does not exercise executive
power; this power is in the hands of the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by
the president
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; special presidential and
congressional elections held 8 April 2001, with
runoff election held 3 June 2001; next to be held 9
April 2006
election results: President Alejandro TOLEDO
Manrique elected president in runoff election;
percent of vote - Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique 53.1%,
Alan GARCIA 46.9% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la
Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 April 2001 (next to be
held 9 April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PP 26.3%, APRA 19.7%, UN 13.8%, FIM 11.0%, others
29.2%; seats by party - PP 47, APRA 28, UN 17, FIM
11, others 17 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
(judges are appointed by the National Council of the
Judiciary) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Independent
Moralizing Front or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega];
National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN [Lourdes
FLORES Nano]; Peru Posible or PP [David WAISMAN];
Peruvian Aprista Party or PAP (also referred to by
its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria
Americana or APRA) [Alan GARCIA]; Popular Action or
AP [Javier DIAZ Orihuela]; Solucion Popular [Carlos
BOLANA]; Somos Peru or SP [Alberto ANDRADE]; Union
for Peru or UPP [Roger GUERRA Garcia] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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leftist
guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael
GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top
leader at-large)]; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary
Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo
AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)] |
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International organization participation:
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APEC,
CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
(associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Eduardo FERRERO Costa
chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago,
Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco,
Washington, DC |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE
embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n,
Surco, Lima 33
mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1;
American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000
telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000
FAX: [51] (1) 434-3037 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white,
and red with the coat of arms centered in the white
band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a
vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a
yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all
framed by a green wreath
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Economy - overview:
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Peru's
economy reflects its varied geography - an arid
coastal region, the Andes further inland, and
tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil.
Abundant mineral resources are found in the
mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide
excellent fishing grounds. However, overdependence
on minerals and metals subjects the economy to
fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of
infrastructure deters trade and investment. After
several years of inconsistent economic performance,
the Peruvian economy grew by an average 4 percent
per year during the period 2002-2004, with a stable
exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on
Peruvian bonds on secondary markets reached
historically low levels in late 2004, reflecting
investor optimism regarding the government's prudent
fiscal policies and openness to trade and
investment. Despite the strong macroeconomic
performance, the TOLEDO administration remained
unpopular in 2004, and unemployment and poverty have
stayed persistently high. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $155.3 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.5%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $5,600 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
8%
industry: 27%
services: 65% (2003 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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17.8%
of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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54%
(2003 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
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lowest
10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 37.2% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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49.8
(2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.8%
(2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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11
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001) |
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Unemployment rate:
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9.6% in
metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2004
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$13.6 billion
expenditures: $14.6 billion, including
capital expenditures of $1.8 billion, for general
government, excluding private enterprises (2004
est.) |
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Public debt:
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44.1%
of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains,
grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy
products; fish |
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Industries:
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mining
and refining of minerals and metals, petroleum
extraction and refining, natural gas, fishing and
fish processing, textiles, clothing, food
processing, steel, metal fabrication |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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22.88
billion kWh (2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 14.5%
hydro: 84.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.8% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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20.22
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Oil - production:
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95,500
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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161,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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49,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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408.8
million bbl (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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910
million cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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910
million cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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245.1
billion cu m (2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$-30
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$12.3
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copper,
gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products,
coffee |
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Exports - partners:
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US
29.5%, China 9.8%, UK 8%, Chile 5.3%, Japan 4.7%,
Switzerland 4.4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$9.6
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum
and petroleum products, plastics, machinery,
vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper |
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Imports - partners:
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US
29.2%, Spain 8.5%, Chile 6.9%, Brazil 5.6%, Colombia
5.2%, China 4% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$12.7
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$29.79
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$491
million (2002) |
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Currency:
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nuevo
sol (PEN) |
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Currency code:
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PEN |
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Exchange rates:
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nuevo
sol per US dollar - 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785 (2003),
3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001), 3.49 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1,839,200
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,908,800
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: adequate for most requirements
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay
system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth
stations
international: country code - 51; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan
American submarine cable |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 472,
FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999) |
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Radios:
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6.65
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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13
(plus 112 repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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3.06
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.pe |
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Internet hosts:
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65,868
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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10
(2000) |
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Internet users:
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2.85
million (2003)
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Railways:
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total:
3,462 km
standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) |
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Highways:
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total:
78,230 km
paved: 10,452 km
unpaved: 67,778 km (2001) |
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Waterways:
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8,808
km
note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of
Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 388
km; oil 1,557 km; refined products 13 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Callao,
Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado,
Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa,
Yurimaguas
note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are
all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its
tributaries |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,666 GRT/17,611 DWT
by type: cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (United States 1)
registered in other countries: 14 (2005) |
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Airports:
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234
(2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
52
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
182
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 62
under 914 m: 99 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2004
est.)
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Military branches:
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Army (Ejercito
Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru; includes
Naval Air, Naval Infantry, and Coast Guard), Air
Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru; FAP) |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation:
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18
years of age for compulsory military service (1999) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 18-49: 6,647,874 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 4,938,417 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age
annually:
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males:
277,105 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$829.3
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.4%
(2004)
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| Transnational
Issues |
Peru |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Peru
proposes changing its latitudinal maritime boundary
with Chile to an equidistance line with a
southwestern axis; organized illegal narcotics
operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared
border; Peru does not support Bolivia's claim to
restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor
through Chile along the Peruvian border |
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