Peru

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.

Peru Information

• Population: 27,544,305 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Peruvian(s) adjective: Peruvian
• Location:: Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 90%
• Ethnic Groups:: Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
• 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
• Area: total: 1,285,220 sq km water: 5,220 sq km land: 1.28 million sq km
• Coast Line: 2,414 km
• 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)
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 2.89% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 96.71% (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
• Highways: total: 72,900 km paved: 9,331 km unpaved: 63,569 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 3,462 km standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries
• Airports: 233 (2003 est.)