Peru

republicIndependence 28 July 1821 (from Spain)

Peru as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLima
LocationWestern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile
1994

Every edition of Peru

Populationas each edition published it
23.65 million July 1994 est. · 21.91m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.86% 1994 est. · 1.9% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 23.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 65.17 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.11 children per woman 1994 est. · 3.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
54.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 67 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$3,000 1993 est. · $1,100 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6% 1993 est. · -2.8% in 1993

Geography

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile | and Ecuador

22 fields
Coastline
2,414km
Land boundaries
6,940km
total · Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
Irrigated land
12,500sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile and Ecuador

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

1,285,220 sq km

land area

1.28 million sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Alaska

territorial sea

200 nm

International disputes

three sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute

Climate

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west

Terrain

western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Natural resources

copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash

arable land

3%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

21%

forest and woodland

55%

other

21%

current issues

  • deforestation;
  • overgrazing;
  • soil erosion;
  • desertification;
  • air pollution in Lima

natural hazards

subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity

international agreements

  • party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling;
  • signed, but not ratified - Tropical Timber

Note

shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia

People

21 fields
Population
23,650,671
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.86% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
25.55Death
7Net migration
0
Labor force
8million
(1992)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

54.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

65.62 years

male

63.44 years

female

67.9 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Peruvian(s)

adjective

Peruvian

Ethnic divisions

Indian 45%, mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Religions

Roman Catholic

Languages

Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara

total population

85%

male

92%

female

29%

by occupation

government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)

Government

Republic

34 fields

Legislature, 80 seatsone dot, one seat

New Majority/Change 90 44Popular Christian Party 8Independent Moralization Front 7Renewal 6Movement of the Democratic Left 4Democratic Coordinator 4others 7

conventional long form

Republic of Peru

conventional short form

Peru

local long form

Republica del Peru

local short form

Peru

Type

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

note

the 1979 Constitution and legislation enacted from 1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions (regiones, singular - region) intended to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 existing departments - Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali);

formation of another region has been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to merge with the department of Lima. Because of inadequate funding from the central government and organizational and political difficulties, the regions have yet to assume major responsibilities.

The 1993 Constitution maintains the regionalization process with some modifications that will limit the powers of the regional governments. The new constitution also reaffirms the roles of departmental and municipal governments.

Independence

28 July 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Constitution

31 December 1993

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

  • President Alberto Kenyo FUJIMORI Fujimori (since 28 July 1990);
  • election last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held NA April 1995);
  • results - Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

note

Prime Minister Efrain GOLDENBERG Schreiber (since February 1994) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president

Democratic Constituent Congress (CCD)

  • elections last held 25 November 1992 (next to be held April 1995);
  • seats - (80 total) New Majority/Change 90 44, Popular Christian Party 8, Independent Moralization Front 7, Renewal 6, Movement of the Democratic Left 4, Democratic Coordinator 4, others 7;
  • note - several major parties (American Popular Revolutionary Alliance, Popular Action) did not participate;
  • with the next election the congress will be expanded to 100 seats

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

note

  • Peru's political party system has become fragmented in recent years with independent movements proliferating;
  • key parties are listed New Majority/Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI;
  • Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes;
  • Popular Action Party (AP), Raul DIEZ CANSECO;
  • American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Armando VILLANUEVA del CAMPO;
  • Independent Moralizing Front (FIM), Fernando OLIVERA Vega;
  • National Renewal, Rafael REY Rey;
  • Democratic Coordinator, Jose BARBA Caballero;
  • Democratic Left Movement, Henry PEASE;
  • Solidarity and Democracy (SODE), Manuel MOREYRA;
  • National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACARES

Other political or pressure groups

  • leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path, Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned);
  • Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor SERPA and Victor POLAY (imprisoned)

Member of

AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG (suspended), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Ricardo LUNA Mendoza

chancery

1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

(202) 833-9860 through 9869

FAX

(202) 659-8124

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), and San Francisco

chief of mission

Ambassador Alvin P. ADAMS, Jr.

embassy

corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima

mailing address

P. O. Box 1991, Lima 1, Unit 3822, or APO AA 34031

telephone

[51] (14) 33-8000

FAX

[51] (14) 31-6682

Flag

  • 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 llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath

Economy

The Peruvian economy is becoming increasingly market oriented, with | major privatizations scheduled for 1994 in the mining and | telecommunications industries.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$3,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
6%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -5% (1992 est.); accounts for 32% of GDP, including petroleum
Unemployment rate
15%
underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Overview

The Peruvian economy is becoming increasingly market oriented, with major privatizations scheduled for 1994 in the mining and telecommunications industries. In the 1980s the economy suffered from hyperinflation, declining per capita output, and mounting external debt. Peru was shut off from IMF and World Bank support in the mid-1980s because of its huge debt arrears.

An austerity program implemented shortly after the FUJIMORI government took office in July 1990 contributed to a third consecutive yearly contraction of economic activity, but the slide halted late that year, and output rose 2.4% in 1991. After a burst of inflation as the austerity program eliminated government price subsidies, monthly price increases eased to the single-digit level and by December 1991 dropped to the lowest increase since mid-1987.

Lima obtained a financial rescue package from multilateral lenders in September 1991, although it faced $14 billion in arrears on its external debt. By working with the IMF and World Bank on new financial conditions and arrangements, the government succeeded in ending its arrears by March 1993.

In 1992, GDP fell by 2.8%, in part because a warmer-than-usual El Nino current resulted in a 30% drop in the fish catch. In 1993 the economy rebounded as strong foreign investment helped push growth to 6%.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $70 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$2 billion

expenditures

$1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1992 est.)

Exports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

copper, zinc, fishmeal, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, refined silver, coffee, cotton

partners

US 25%, Japan 9%, Italy, Germany

Imports

$4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

partners

US 30%, Colombia, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Brazil

External debt

$22 billion (1993 est.)

capacity

5,042,000 kW

production

17.434 billion kWh

consumption per capita

760 kWh (1992)

Industries

mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication

Agriculture

  • accounts for 13% of GDP, about 35% of labor force;
  • commercial crops - coffee, cotton, sugarcane;
  • other crops - rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca;
  • animal products - poultry, red meats, dairy, wool;
  • not self-sufficient in grain or vegetable oil;
  • fish catch of 6.9 million metric tons (1990)

Illicit drugs

  • world's largest coca leaf producer with about 108,800 hectares under cultivation in 1993;
  • source of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine base;
  • at least 85% of coca cultivation is for illicit production;
  • most of cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.3 billion;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $577 million

Currency

1 nuevo sol (S/.) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates

nuevo sol (S/.) per US$1 - 2.180 (January 1994), 1.988 (1993), 1.245 (1992), 0.772 (1991), 0.187 (1990), 0.0027 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

16 fields

Railroads

1,801 km total; 1,501 km 1.435-meter gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge

total

69,942 km

paved

7,459 km

unpaved

improved earth 13,538 km; unimproved earth 48,945 km

Inland waterways

8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca

Pipelines

crude oil 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids 64 km

Ports

Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara

Merchant marine

17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 142,425 GRT/229,746 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 10, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

note

in addition, 6 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially

total

252

usable

222

with permanent-surface runways

37

with runways over 3,659 m

2

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

24

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

54

Telecommunications

  • fairly adequate for most requirements;
  • nationwide microwave system;
  • 544,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave;
  • satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 12 domestic

Defense Forces

Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Air Force | (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), National Police

3 fields

Branches

Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), National Police

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 6,199,785;
  • fit for military service 4,188,706;
  • reach military age (20) annually 246,427 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $500 million, about 2% of GDP (1991)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Peru.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/peru/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →