Peru
Republic of PeruRepublica del Peru
constitutional republicIndependence 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Peru as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 140 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 Manrique 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 Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, has overseen a robust macroeconomic performance.
Geography
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
20 fieldsLand useshare of 1,285,216 sq km
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, hydropower, natural gas
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 20.13 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%)
- per capita:
- 720 cu m/yr (2000)
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
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
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 (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne disease:
- dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever
- water contact disease:
- leptospirosis (2009)
Ethnic groups
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
Languages
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
Government
Constitutional republic; President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 120 seats, elected 9 April 2006one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Peru
- conventional short form:
- Peru
- local long form:
- Republica del Peru
- local short form:
- Peru
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
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 (since 28 July 2006);
- 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 (since 28 July 2006);
- Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
note: Prime Minister Javier VELASQUEZ Quesquen (since 12 July 2009) 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 Perez elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alan GARCIA Perez 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);
- Central Front (Frente Del Centro) or FC (a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional de Independientes) [Victor Andres GARCIA Belaunde];
- National Renovation Party (Partido Renovacion Nacional) [Rafael REY];
- National Restoration Party (Restauracion Nacional) or RN [Humberto LAY Sun];
- National Solidarity Party (Partido Solidaridad Nacional) or SN [Luis CASTANEDA Lossio];
- Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP [Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique];
- Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan GARCIA Perez] (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA);
- Peruvian Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Peruano) or PNP [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso];
- Popular Christian Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) or PPC [Lourdes FLORES Nano];
- Union for Peru (Union por el Peru) or UPP [Aldo ESTRADA Choque]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- General Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN];
- Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or SL [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Victor QUISPE Palomino (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group)
International organization participation
APEC, CAN, 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, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Luis VALDIVIESO Montano
- 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, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco
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
Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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. 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 9% per year in 2007 and 2008, driven by higher world prices for minerals and metals and the government's aggressive trade liberalization strategies. Peru's rapid expansion has helped to reduce the national poverty rate by about 15% since 2002, though underemployment and inflation remain high.
Despite Peru's strong macroeconomic performance, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and poor infrastructure precludes the spread of growth to Peru's non-coastal areas. Not all Peruvians therefore have shared in the benefits of growth.
President GARCIA's pursuit of sound trade and macroeconomic policies has cost him political support since his election. Nevertheless, he remains committed to Peru's free-trade path. The United States and Peru completed negotiations on the implementation of the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA), and the agreement entered into force February 1, 2009, opening the way to greater trade and investment between the two economies.
Unemployment rate
8.1% (2008 est.) · 6.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
Distribution of family income - Gini index
49.8 (2005) · 46.2 (1996) country comparison to the world: 26
Central bank discount rate
7.25% (31 December 2008) · 5.75% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 78
Commercial bank prime lending rate
23.67% (31 December 2008) · 24.1% (December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13
Stock of money
$15.42 billion (31 December 2008) · $14.66 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 37
Stock of quasi money
$25.32 billion (31 December 2008) · $19.95 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 40
Stock of domestic credit
$21.98 billion (31 December 2008) · $17.88 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 58
Agriculture - products
- asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mango, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans;
- 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
Natural gas - proved reserves
335.3 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Current account balance
-$4.18 billion (2008 est.) · $1.22 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Exports - commodities
copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee, potatoes, asparagus, textiles, fishmeal
Imports - commodities
petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$31.25 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $27.78 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Debt - external
$34.59 billion (31 December 2008) · $32.57 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 59
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$30.31 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $24.74 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$1.694 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $2.284 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Exchange rates
nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar - 2.91 (2008 est.), 3.1731 (2007), 3.2742 (2006), 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- adequate for most requirements
- domestic:
- fixed-line teledensity is only about 10 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by competition among multiple providers, has increased to more than 70 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) (2008)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 8 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Pipelines
- extra heavy crude 533 km;
- gas 1,078 km;
- liquid petroleum gas 654 km;
- oil 1,018 km;
- refined products 15 km (2008)
Railways
- total:
- 1,989 km
country comparison to the world: 73
- standard gauge:
- 1,726 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 263 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Roadways
- total:
- 78,829 km
country comparison to the world: 61
- paved:
- 11,351 km (includes 276 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 67,478 km (2004)
Waterways
8,808 km country comparison to the world: 14 note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2008)
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
Army of Peru (Ejercito Peruano), Navy of Peru (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP (includes naval air, naval infantry, and Coast Guard)), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP) (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Army of Peru (Ejercito Peruano), Navy of Peru (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP (includes naval air, naval infantry, and Coast Guard)), Air Force of Peru (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.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - 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: 60,000-150,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2007)
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 declined to 36,000 hectares in 2007;
- second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 210 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2007;
- 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, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa;
- increasing domestic drug consumption
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Peru.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/peru/2009.