Peru

Republic of PeruRepublica del Peru

republicIndependence 28 July 1821 (from Spain)

Peru as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 83 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

Area1,285,220 sq km

LocationWestern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean,

Populationas each edition published it

24.09 million July 1995 est. · 21.91m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.8% 1995 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

66.07 years 1995 est. · 65.17 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3 children per woman 1995 est. · 3.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

52.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 67 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$3,110 1994 est. · $1,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

8.6% 1994 est. · -2.8% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 1,285,220 sq km

arable land 3%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 21%forest and woodland 55%other 21%irrigated 12,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

1,285,220sq km

land area: 1.28 million sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska

Coastline

2,414km

continental shelf: 200 nmterritorial sea: 200 nm

Land boundaries

6,940km

total · Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

Location

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

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

Environment

current issues:: deforestation;
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
natural hazards:: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

Note

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

People

15 fields

Population

24,087,372

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 1.8% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

24.88Death

6.84Net migration

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years66.07

63.86 · 68.38

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy82%

92% · 74%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force

8million

(1992)by occupation: government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 35% (female 4,152,520; male 4,296,293)
15-64 years:: 61% (female 7,280,287; male 7,378,227)
65 years and over:: 4% (female 535,156; male 444,889) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

52.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Peruvian(s)
adjective:: Peruvian

Ethnic divisions

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

Languages

Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara

Government

Republic

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

64.42%

Alberto FUJIMORI 64.42%Javier PEREZ de CUELLAR 21.80%Mercedes CABANILLAS 4.11%other 9.67%

Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

(120 total, when installed on 28 July 1995) C90/NM 67UPP 17APRA 8FIM 6(CODE)-Pais Posible 5AP 4PPC 3Renovacion 3IU 2OBRAS 2MIA 1FRENATRACA 1(FREPAP) 1

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Peru
conventional short form:: Peru
local long form:: Republica del Peru
local short form:: Peru

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 mandated the creation of regions (regiones, singular - region) to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities;

so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 of the 24 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 retains the regions but limits their authority; the 1993 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

Legal system

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: President Alberto Kenyo FUJIMORI Fujimori (since 28 July 1990);
election last held 9 April 1995 (next to be held NA 2000);
results - Alberto FUJIMORI 64.42%, Javier PEREZ de CUELLAR 21.80%, Mercedes CABANILLAS 4.11%, other 9.67%
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Congress

elections last held 9 April 1995 (next to be held NA 2000);
results - C90/NM 52.1% of the total vote, UPP 14%, eleven other parties 33.9%;
seats - (120 total, when installed on 28 July 1995) C90/NM 67, UPP 17, APRA 8, FIM 6, (CODE)-Pais Posible 5, AP 4, PPC 3, Renovacion 3, IU 2, OBRAS 2, MIA 1, FRENATRACA 1, (FREPAP) 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Political parties and leaders

Change 90-New Majority (C90/NM), Alberto FUJIMORI;
Union for Peru (UPP), Javier PEREZ de CUELLAR;
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Agustin MANTILLA Campos;
Independent Moralizing Front (FIM), Fernando OLIVERA Vega;
Democratic Coordinator (CODE) - Pais Posible, Jose BARBA Caballero and Alejandro TOLEDO;
Popular Action Party (AP), Raul DIEZ CANSECO;
Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes;
Renovacion, Rafael REY Rey;
Civic Works Movement (OBRAS), Ricardo BELMONT;
United Left (IU), Agustin HAYA de la TORRE;
Independent Agrarian Movement (MIA), Rolando SALVATERRIE;
Peru 2000-National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACARES;
Popular Agricultural Front (FREPAP), Ezequiel ATAUCUSI

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG (suspended), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ricardo V. LUNA Mendoza
chancery:: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869

FAX

[1] (202) 659-8124; consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation

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 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031
telephone:: [51] (14) 338000

FAX

[51] (14) 316682

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 has become increasingly | market-oriented, with major privatizations completed in 1994 in the | mining and telecommunications industries.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$3,110

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

8.6%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: NA

Inflation, consumer prices

15%

(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

15%

extensive underemployment (1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$2 billionExpenditures

$1.7 billion (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $300 million

Installed generating capacity, 4,190,000 kW

Electricity production

11.2 billionElectricity consumption per capita

448 (1993)

Overview

The Peruvian economy has become increasingly market-oriented, with major privatizations completed in 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 came to a halt late that year, and in 1991 output rose 2.4%. 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 had fallen by 2.8%, in part because a warmer-than-usual El Nino current resulted in a 30% drop in the fish catch, but the economy rebounded as strong foreign investment helped push growth to 6% in 1993 and 8.6% in 1994.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $73.6 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: copper, zinc, fishmeal, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, refined silver, coffee, cotton
partners:: US 19%, Japan 9%, Italy, Germany

Imports

$5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
partners:: US 21%, Colombia, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Brazil

External debt

$22.4 billion (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 12% 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 108,600 hectares under cultivation in 1994;
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, but exports of finished cocaine are increasing

Economic aid

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 - 2.20 (February 1995), 2.195 (1994),1.988 (1993), 1.245 (1992), 0.772 (1991), 0.187 (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 236 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

69,942Railroads

1,801

Highways: paved: 7,459 km · unpaved: improved earth 13,538 km; unimproved earth 48,945 km · Railroads: standard gauge: 1,501 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 300 km 0.914-m gauge

Railroads

total:: 1,801 km
standard gauge:: 1,501 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:: 300 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways

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 of Lago Titicaca

Pipelines

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

Ports

Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Paita, Pucallpa, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Yurimaguas note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries

Merchant marine

total:: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 90,501 GRT/144,913 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 3, cargo 6, refrigerated cargo 1

note: in addition, 4 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

544,000 telephones; fairly adequate for most requirements

local:: NA
intercity:: nationwide microwave radio relay system and 12 domestic satellite links
international:: 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations