Peru

The Republic of Peru is situated in South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, and Chile to the south. The South Pacific Ocean bounds the country to the west. Lima is the capital of Peru.

HISTORY:- Peru was a part of the great Incan Empire in the 16th century before the Spanish colonization. In 1531, Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru from the Inca Emperor Atahualpa. In 1542, the Spanish government established the Viceroyalty of Peru. Independence movements, led by Jose de San Martin of Argentina and Simon Bolivar of Venezuela started in Peru. Peru proclaimed independence in 1821 which finally was granted when General Antonio Jose de Sucre of Venezuela defeated the Spanish Crown in 1824. After a period of political instability, in 1840s, Peru entered into a period of stability under Ramón Castilla. In the War of the Pacific (1879–1883), Peru faced defeat in front of Chile. In 1945 in the first free elections in Peru, José Luis Bustamente y Rivero became the president. Fernando Belaúnde Terry was overthrown by Gen. Juan Velasco Alvarado in 1968. Velasco was forcibly replaced by Gen. Francisco Morales Bermudez. Gen. Francisco Morales Bermudez anticipated the re-affirmation of democracy in Peru. In 1980, Belaúnde Terry reassumed the power. After decades of instability and rebellions, Belaúnde Terry was reelected the president. In 1990 elections, Alberto Fujimori won and the nation started recovering. In 2000, he was forced to resign for the corruption of his government.

GEOGRAPHY:- Peru is located at 10 00 S, 76 00 W in Western south America, occupying total 1,285,220 sq km area on earth. The coastline is 2,414 km long bordering the South Pacific Ocean. The lowest point is Pacific Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Nevado Huascaran (6,768 m). The terrain of Peru varies from western coastal plain (costa) to high and rugged Andes in center (sierra) to eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva).

CLIMATE:- The climate of Peru varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west, from temperate to frigid in the Andes region.

GOVERNMENT:-  Peru has a constitutional republic. The constitution was adopted on 29th December 1993. The legal system is based on the civil law system. The three principal branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state and head of government), the First Vice President, the Second Vice President, the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister. The president is elected by a popular vote on a 5-year term. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president. The Prime minister holds no executive power.

Legislative branch comprises the unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru (120 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and lower courts.

The major political parties of Peru are Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA), National Unity (UN), Peru Posible (PP), Popular Action (AP), Union for Peru (UPP), Solucion Popular, and Somos Peru (SP). Suffrage is universal and compulsory from 18 to 70. The military and national police forces gained suffrage in 2006 elections.

President                                Alan GARCIA Pérez

First Vice President                 Luis Giampietri Rojas

Second Vice President            Lourdes Mendoza del Solar

Prime Minister                         Jorge Del Castillo

President of Congress            Luis Gonzales Posada

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Peru is composed of 25 regions and 1 province (Lima).

CULTURE:- Amerindian and Spanish cultures are prominent in the Peruvian culture with some African, Asian, and European roots. Peruvian cuisine is also influenced by Amerindian and Spanish cuisines. Andean, Spanish and African roots are prominent in Peruvian music. Marinera, tondero, danza de tijeras and huayno are the popular Peruvian dances.

ECONOMY:- Peru is a developing country with excellent fishing grounds along the coasts. The economy of Peru is mostly dependent on agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products.

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $219 billion; per capita $7,800.

Real growth rate: 9%.

Inflation: 1.8%.

Unemployment: 6.9% in only Lima; widespread underemployment.

Arable land: 3%.

Agriculture: Coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish.

Labor force: 9.419 million; agriculture 9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001).

Budget:  

Revenues: $32.48 billion

Expenditures: $29.11 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 29.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $31.07 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Industries: Mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing.

Natural resources: Copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas.

Exports: $27.14 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee.

Imports: $18.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper.

Major trading partners: U.S., China, Switzerland, Canada, Chile, Japan, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Mexico (2006).

Monetary unit: Nuevo sol

LANGUAGE:- Spanish and Quechua both are the official languages of Peru, while Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages are also spoken.

CITIES:- The capital of Peru Lima is the largest city of the nation as well. Other major cities are Arequipa, Chiclayo, Cuzco, Huancayo, Ica, Trujillo, Ayacucho, Piura, Iquitos, Chimbote.

POPULATION:- The population is approximated 28,674,757 with an estimated growth rate of 1.3%

Density per sq mi: 58

Literacy rate: 87.7% (2004 est.).

RACE:-

Amerindian 45%

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%

White 15%

Black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 81%

Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%

Other Christian 0.7%

Other 0.6%

Unspecified or none 16.3% (2003

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 19.77 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 29.53 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.44 years

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,200 (2003 est.)

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 274

UNICEF:- Establishment of rights of children, women and adolescents are priorities of UNICEF in Peru. UNICEF ties up with the government in its projects. Another important issue in the country is maternal mortality rate and UNICEF focuses on developing information, education and communication campaigns on sexual and reproductive rights.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: total: 1,989 km (2002).

Highways: total: 78,829 km; paved: 11,351 km (includes 276 km of expressways); unpaved: 67,478 km (2004 est.).

Waterways: 8,808 km.

Ports and harbors: Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas. 

Airports: 237 (2007).