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Background:
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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 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 who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions and maintain fiscal responsibility.
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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 S, 76 00 W
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Alaska
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Land boundaries:
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total: 7,461 km
border countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
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Coastline:
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2,414 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
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Climate:
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varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
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Terrain:
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western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
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Natural resources:
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copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.88%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.65% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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12,000 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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1,913 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 20.13 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%)
Per capita: 720 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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28,674,757 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30.3% (male 4,427,080/female 4,271,390)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 9,267,642/female 9,150,816)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 734,533/female 823,296) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 25.5 years
male: 25.2 years
female: 25.8 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.289% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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20.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.013 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.892 male(s)/female
total population: 1.013 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 29.96 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.14 years
male: 68.33 years
female: 72.04 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.46 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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82,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,200 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian
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Ethnic groups:
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Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.7%
male: 93.5%
female: 82.1% (2004 est.)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
