2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Age structure

0-14 years: 30.9% (male 4,456,195/female 4,300,233) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 9,078,123/female 8,961,981) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 709,763/female 796,308) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

asparagus, coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish, guinea pigs

Airports

268 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11

total

54

under 914 m

3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

214 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 63

under 914 m

124 (2006)

Area

land

1.28 million sq km

total

1,285,220 sq km

water

5,220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Alaska

Background

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. Geography Peru

Birth rate

20.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$25.18 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion for general government, but excluding private enterprises (2006 est.)

revenues

$25.5 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

12 03 S, 77 03 W

name

Lima

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

Coastline

2,414 km

Constitution

31 December 1993

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Peru

conventional short form

Peru

local long form

Republica del Peru

local short form

Peru

Currency (code)

nuevo sol (PEN)

Currency code

PEN

Current account balance

$1.515 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$27.93 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE

embassy

Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33

mailing address

P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000

telephone

[51] (1) 434-3000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Felipe ORTIZ de Zevallos

telephone

[1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869

Disputes - international

Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries along the parallels of latitude to equidistance lines which favor Peru; organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru rejects Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian border

Distribution of family income - Gini index

49.8 (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$491 million (2002)

Economy - overview

Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy grew by more than 4 percent per year during the period 2002-2006, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2004, reflecting investor optimism regarding the government's prudent fiscal policies and openness to trade and investment. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, underemployment and poverty have stayed persistently high. Economic growth continues to be driven by the Camisea natural gas megaproject and by exports of minerals, textiles, and agricultural products. Upon taking office, President GARCIA announced the formation of Sierria Exportadora, a program aimed at promoting economic growth in Southern Peru and the highlands.

Electricity - consumption

22.31 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

23.99 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

14.5%

hydro

84.7%

nuclear

0%

other

0.8% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

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, 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

Ethnic groups

Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Exchange rates

nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.28069 (2006), 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785 (2003), 3.5165 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Alan GARCIA elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential and congressional elections held 9 April 2006, with runoff election held 4 June 2006; next to be held April 2011

head of government

President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)

note

Prime Minister Jorge DEL CASTILLO Galvez (since 28 August 2006) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president

Exports

$22.69 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee, potatoes, asparagus, textiles, guinea pigs

Exports - partners

US 31.1%, China 10.8%, Chile 6.6%, Canada 5.9%, Switzerland 4.6% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 659-8124

[51] (1) 618-2397

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, Washington, DC

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Peru

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 Peru

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

8.5%

industry

26.4%

services

53.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.5% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$76.09 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$181.8 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

10 00 S, 76 00 W

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 Peru

Government type

constitutional republic

Heliports

1 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

82,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

37.2% (2000)

lowest 10%

0.8%

IDPs

60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2005)

Illicit drugs

until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; cultivation of coca in Peru fell 15% to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end of 2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to Europe and Africa This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$15.38 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper

Imports - partners

US 18.2%, China 8.5%, Brazil 8%, Ecuador 7.4%, Colombia 6.1%, Argentina 5.1%, Chile 5.1%, Venezuela 4.1% (2005)

Independence

28 July 1821 (from Spain)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2006 est.)

Industries

mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing

Infant mortality rate

female

28.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

33.49 deaths/1,000 live births

total

30.94 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.pe

Internet hosts

269,981 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

10 (2000)

Internet users

4.6 million (2005) Transportation Peru

Investment (gross fixed)

20.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

12,000 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)

Labor force

9.21 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

9%

industry

18%

services

73% (2001)

Land boundaries

border countries

Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

total

7,461 km

Land use

arable land

2.88%

other

96.65% (2005)

permanent crops

0.47%

Languages

Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages

Legal system

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%, UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%; seats by party - UPP 45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2

elections

last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held April 2011)

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.71 years (2006 est.)

male

68.05 years

total population

69.84 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.1% (2004 est.) Government Peru

male

93.5%

total population

87.7%

Location

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

6,544,408 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

6,647,874

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

5,278,511 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

4,938,417

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

269,799 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

277,105

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

territorial sea

200 nm

Median age

female

25.5 years (2006 est.)

male

25 years

total

25.3 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1

foreign-owned

1 (US 1)

registered in other countries

15 (Panama 15) (2006)

total

4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 38,954 GRT/62,255 DWT

Military branches

Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru; includes naval air, naval infantry, and coast guard), Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$829.3 million (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2003 est.) Transnational Issues Peru

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Nationality

adjective

Peruvian

noun

Peruvian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

860 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

860 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

246.8 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity

Natural resources

copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Net migration rate

-1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

156,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

49,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

120,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

370 million bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

gas 983 km; gas/lpg 61 km; liquid natural gas 106 km; liquid petroleum gas 517 km; oil 1,754 km; refined products 13 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance For Progress (Alianza Para El Progreso) [Cesar ACUNA Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza Por El Futuro) or AF - a coalition of pro-FUJIMORI parties including Cambio 90, Nueva Mayoria, and Si Cumple [Martha CHAVEZ Cossio]; Centrist Front (Frente Del Centro) or FC - a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional de Independientes [Drago KISIC]; Independent Moralizing Front (Frente Independiente Moralizador) or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega]; Nationalist Party Uniting Peru (Partido Nacionalista Uniendo al Peru) or UPP - a coalition of Union for Peru (UPP) and Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso]; National Restoration (Restauracion Nacional) or RN [Humberto LAY Sun]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP [David WAISMAN]; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP - also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA [Alan GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)]; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)]

Population

28,302,603 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

54% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate

1.32% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Callao, Iquitos, Matarani, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note - Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries Military Peru

Public debt

33.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999)

Radios

6.65 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

500 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

standard gauge

2,962 km 1.435-m gauge

total

3,462 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$17.04 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

11,351 km (including 276 km of expressways)

total

78,829 km

unpaved

67,478 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; note - for the first time in recent elections, members of the military and national police were eligible to vote in the 2006 elections

Telephone system

domestic

nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

general assessment

adequate for most requirements

international

country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Telephones - main lines in use

2,250,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5.583 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

3.06 million (1997)

Terrain

western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Total fertility rate

2.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Peru is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked internally for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced domestic labor; most victims are girls and young women moved internally from rural to urban areas, or from city to city, and lured or coerced into prostitution in nightclubs, bars, and brothels; Peruvians have also been trafficked for sexual exploitation to Spain, Japan, the United States, and Venezuela; the government acknowledges that sex tourism occurs, particularly in the Amazon region of the country

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Peru is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2005

Unemployment rate

7.2% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2006 est.)

Waterways

8,808 km

note

8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2005)