| Background |
Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadores 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. |
| Location |
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between
Chile and Ecuador |
| Area |
total: 1,285,220 sq km
water: 5,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km |
| Area - comparative |
slightly smaller than Alaska |
| 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: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97% (1998 est.) |
| 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 |
| Geography - note |
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; remote Lake McIntyre is the ultimate source of the Amazon River |
| Population |
27,949,639 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age structure |
0-14 years: 34% (male 4,820,892; female 4,671,205)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 8,598,328; female 8,492,830)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 627,601; female 738,783) (2002 est.) (2002 est.) |
| Population growth rate |
1.66% (2002 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate |
38.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth |
total population: 70.59 years
female: 73.12 years (2002 est.)
male: 68.18 years |
| Ethnic groups |
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% |
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 90% |
| Languages |
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara |
| Literacy |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.3%
male: 94.5%
female: 83% (1995 est.) |
| Government type |
constitutional republic |
| Capital |
Lima |
| Independence |
28 July 1821 (from Spain) |
| Legal system |
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| 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 |
Thanks to strong foreign investment and the cooperation between the government and the IMF and World Bank, growth was strong in 1994-97 and inflation was brought under control. In 1998, El Nino's impact on agriculture, the financial crisis in Asia, and instability in Brazilian markets undercut growth. And 1999 was another lean year for Peru, with the aftermath of El Nino and the Asian financial crisis working its way through the economy. Political instability resulting from the presidential election and Fujimori's subsequent departure from office limited growth in 2000. The downturn in the global economy further depressed growth in 2001. President Toledo, who assumed the presidency in July 2001, is working to reinvigorate the economy and reduce unemployment. Economic growth in 2002 is projected to be 3 to 3.5%. |
| GDP - per capita |
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line |
50% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force |
7.5 million (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment rate |
9%; widespread underemployment (2001 est.) |
| Industries |
mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication |
| Agriculture - products |
coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, plantains, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products, wool; fish |
| Exports - commodities |
fish and fish products, gold, copper, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, coffee, sugar, cotton |
| Imports - commodities |
machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
