|
|
Background: |
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, which led
to his ouster in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the
spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of
government - Peru's first democratically elected president of Native
American ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of
Alan GARCIA who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to
1990, returned to the presidency with promises to improve social
conditions and maintain fiscal responsibility. |
|
Location: |
Western South America,
bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
10 00 S, 76 00 W |
|
Map references: |
South America |
|
Area: |
total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Alaska
|
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 7,461 km
border countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171
km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km |
|
Coastline: |
2,414 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
|
Climate: |
varies from tropical in east to
dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes |
|
Terrain: |
western coastal plain (costa),
high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon
Basin (selva) |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m |
|
Natural resources: |
copper, silver, gold,
petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower,
natural gas |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 2.88%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.65% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
12,000 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
1,913 cu km (2000) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 20.13 cu km/yr
(8%/10%/82%)
per capita: 720 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
Natural hazards: |
earthquakes, tsunamis,
flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity |
|
Environment - current issues: |
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
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 |
|
Geography - note: |
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
|
|
Population: |
29,180,899 (July 2008 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 29.7% (male
4,409,227/female 4,253,836)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male
9,501,597/female 9,381,139)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male
770,389/female 864,711) (2008 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 25.8 years
male: 25.5 years
female: 26.1 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
1.264% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
19.77 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Death rate: |
6.16 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-0.97 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
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 (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 29.53
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 70.44
years
male: 68.61 years
female: 72.37 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
2.42 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.5% (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
82,000 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
4,200 (2003 est.) |
|
Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: very
high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, Oroya
fever, and yellow fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis
(2008) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed
Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other
3% |
|
Religions: |
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 |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 87.7%
male: 93.5%
female: 82.1% (2004 est.)
|
|
Country name: |
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: |
constitutional republic |
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Capital: |
name: Lima
geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
time
difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
|
|
Administrative divisions: |
25 regions (regiones, singular
- region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac,
Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica,
Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios,
Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali |
|
Independence: |
28 July 1821 (from Spain)
|
|
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 28 July
(1821) |
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Constitution: |
29 December 1993 |
|
Legal system: |
based on civil law system;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and
compulsory until the age of 70; note - for the first time in recent
elections, members of the military and national police were eligible to
vote in the 2006 elections |
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President
Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar
(since 28 July 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Alan GARCIA
Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas;
Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
note: Prime Minister Jorge DEL CASTILLO Galvez (since 28 August
2006) 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 (eligible for a nonconsecutive reelection); presidential
and congressional elections held 9 April 2006 with runoff election held 4
June 2006; next to be held in April 2011
election results: Alan
GARCIA elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alan GARCIA
52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5% |
|
Legislative branch: |
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 9 April 2006 (next to be held in April
2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%,
PAP 20.6%, UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%, other 14.6%;
seats by party - UPP 45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court of Justice or
Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of
the Judiciary) |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Alliance For Progress (Alianza
Para El Progreso) [Cesar ACUNA Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza
Por El Futuro) or AF (a coalition of pro-FUJIMORI parties including Cambio
90, Nueva Mayoria, and Si Cumple); Centrist Front (Frente Del Centro) or
FC (a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional
de Independientes); Independent Moralizing Front (Frente Independiente
Moralizador) or FIM; National Renovation Party (Partido Renovacion
Nacional) [Rafael REY]; National Restoration (Restauracion Nacional) or RN
[Humberto LAY Sun]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN (a coalition of
Partido Popular Cristiano and Partido Solidaridad Nacional) [Lourdes
FLORES Nano]; Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP [Alejandro TOLEDO
Manrique]; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan
GARCIA] (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular
Revolucionaria Americana or APRA); Peruvian Nationalist Party (Partido
Nacionalista Peruano) or PNP [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso]; Union for Peru (Union
por el Peru) or UPP [Aldo ESTRADA Choque] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
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)] |
|
International organization participation: |
APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15,
G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIL,
UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Felipe ORTIZ de Zevallos
chancery: 1700
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1]
(202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, 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: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY
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) 618-2397 |
|
Flag description: |
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 |
|
Economy - overview: |
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 more than
4% per year during the period 2002-06, with a stable exchange rate and low
inflation. Growth jumped to 7.5% in 2007, driven by higher world prices
for minerals and metals. 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,
underemployment and poverty have stayed persistently high. Growth
prospects depend on exports of minerals, textiles, and agricultural
products, and by expectations for the Camisea natural gas megaproject and
for other promising energy projects. Upon taking office, President GARCIA
announced Sierra Exportadora, a program aimed at promoting economic growth
in Peru's southern and central highlands. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$217.5 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$101.5 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
7.5% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$7,600 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 8.4%
industry: 25.6%
services: 66% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
9.419 million (2007 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 9%
industry: 18%
services: 73% (2001) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
7.4% in metropolitan Lima;
widespread underemployment (2007 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
44.5% (2006) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 40.9% (2003) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
52 (2003) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
20.8% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $30.35 billion
expenditures: $29.8 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
29.3% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
asparagus, coffee, cotton,
sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca;
poultry, beef, dairy products; fish, guinea pigs |
|
Industries: |
mining and refining of
minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining,
natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food
processing |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
5% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
24.97 billion kWh (2005 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 14.5%
hydro: 84.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.8%
(2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
22.59 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
110,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption: |
166,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
53,040 bbl/day (2004 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
121,500 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
929.6 million bbl (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
1.515 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
1.515 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
236.9 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
$2.045 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$27.14 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
copper, gold, zinc, crude
petroleum and petroleum products, coffee, potatoes, asparagus, textiles,
guinea pigs |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 24.1%, China 9.6%,
Switzerland 7.1%, Peru 6.8%, Chile 6%, Japan 5.2% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$18.75 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
petroleum and petroleum
products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper
|
|
Imports - partners: |
US 16.5%, China 10.3%, Brazil
10.3%, Ecuador 7.2%, Colombia 6.1%, Chile 5.8%, Argentina 4.8%, Mexico 4%
(2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$397.8 million (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$24.06 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$27.81 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$19.36 billion (2006 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$1.476 billion (2006 est.)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$59.66 billion (2006) |
|
Currency (code): |
nuevo sol (PEN) |
|
Currency code: |
PEN |
|
Exchange rates: |
nuevo sol per US dollar -
3.1731 (2007), 3.2742 (2006), 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785 (2003)
|
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
2.332 million (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
8.5 million (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
adequate for most requirements
domestic: fixed-line teledensity
is only about 8 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by
competition among multiple providers, has increased to about 30 telephones
per 100 persons; nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country
code - 51; the South America-1 (SAM-1) and Pan American (PAN-AM) submarine
cable systems provide links to parts of Central and South America, the
Caribbean, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
|
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189
(1999) |
|
Radios: |
6.65 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)
|
|
Televisions: |
3.06 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.pe |
|
Internet hosts: |
270,193 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
10 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
6.1 million (2006)
|
|
Airports: |
237 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 54
over
3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437
m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 183
2,438
to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523
m: 40
under 914 m: 117 (2007) |
|
Heliports: |
1 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 1,181 km; gas/liquid
petroleum gas 61 km; liquid natural gas 106 km; liquid petroleum gas 517
km; oil 1,749 km; refined products 13 km (2007) |
|
Railways: |
total: 1,989 km
standard gauge: 1,726 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
263 km 0.914-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 78,829 km
paved: 11,351 km (includes 276 km of expressways)
unpaved: 67,478 km (2004) |
|
Waterways: |
8,808 km
note: 8,600
km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca
(2007) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 6 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 76,220 GRT/119,615 DWT
by type: cargo 3, petroleum
tanker 3
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other
countries: 16 (Belize 1, Panama 15) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Callao, Iquitos, Matarani,
Paita, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note - Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are
on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries |
|
Military branches: |
Peruvian Army (Ejercito
Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP (includes naval
air, naval infantry, and coast guard)), Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
del Peru, FAP) (2008) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
18-30 years of age for
voluntary male and female military service; no conscription (2008) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49:
7,653,898
females age 16-49: 7,531,329 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49:
5,796,449
females age 16-49: 6,217,524 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 306,260
females age 16-49: 296,819 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.5% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Peru |
|
Disputes - international: |
Chile and Ecuador rejected
Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their
joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries along the parallels of latitude
to equidistance lines which favor Peru; organized illegal narcotics
operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru rejects
Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor
through Chile along the Peruvian border |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
IDPs: 60,000 (civil war
from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian
regions) (2005) |
|
Illicit drugs: |
until 1996 the world's largest
coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's second largest producer of
coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; cultivation of coca in Peru
rose 25% to 34,000 hectares in 2005; much of the cocaine base is shipped
to neighboring Colombia for processing into cocaine, while finished
cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug
market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are
being moved to Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or
transshipped to Europe and Africa |
|
