Peru

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.

Geography

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 water: 5,220 sq km land: 1.28 million sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries:	total: 5,536 km border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km
Coastline:	2,414 km
Maritime claims:	continental shelf: 200 NM territorial sea: 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 left (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: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.38% other: 96.77% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:	11,950 sq km (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
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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

Population:	28,409,897 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:	0-14 years: 33.5% (male 4,828,531; female 4,678,008) 15-64 years: 61.5% (male 8,794,799; female 8,689,072) 65 years and over: 5% (male 652,375; female 767,112) (2003 est.)
Median age:	total: 23.5 years male: 23.2 years female: 23.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate:	1.61% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:	22.81 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:	5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:	-1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	total: 36.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 31.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 42.04 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 70.88 years male: 68.45 years female: 73.43 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:	2.81 children born/woman (2003 est.)
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 90%
Languages:	Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.9% male: 95.2% female: 86.8% (2003 est.)

Government

Country name:	conventional long form: Republic of Peru conventional short form: Peru local long form: Republica del Peru local short form: Peru
Government type:	constitutional republic
Capital:	Lima
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: some reports indicate that the 24 departments and 1 constitutional province are now being referred to as regions; Peru is implementing a decentralization program whereby these 25 administrative divisions will begin to exercise greater governmental authority over their territories; in November 2002, voters chose their new regional presidents and other regional leaders; the authority that the regional government will exercise has not yet been clearly defined, but it will be devolved to the regions over the course of several years
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 Source: CIA World Factbook