from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Peru
Introduction
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 - the
first democratically elected president of Quechua
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.
Geography
Location: Western South America, bordering the South Pacific
Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
Geographic 10 00 S, 76 00 W
coordinates:
Map South America
references:
Area: total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Alaska
comparative:
Land total: 5,536 km
boundaries: 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 territorial sea: 200 nm
claims: continental shelf: 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
center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin
(selva)
Elevation lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
Natural copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron
resources: ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 2.88%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.65% (2005)
Irrigated 12,000 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild
hazards: volcanic activity
Environment - deforestation (some the result of illegal logging);
current overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra
issues: leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution
in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from
municipal and mining wastes
Environment - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
agreements: 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
Geography - shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
note: 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: 28,302,603 (July 2006 est.)
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.)
Median age: total: 25.3 years
male: 25 years
female: 25.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.32% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 20.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 33.49 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 28.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 69.84 years
expectancy at male: 68.05 years
birth: female: 71.71 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.5% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 82,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 4,200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other
Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3%
(2003 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a
large number of minor Amazonian languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.7%
male: 93.5%
female: 82.1% (2004 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 constitutional republic
type:
Capital: name: Lima
geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1
divisions: 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
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
National Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
holiday:
Constitution: 31 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age
of 70; note - members of the military and national
police may not vote
Executive chief of state: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28
branch: 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
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
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
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
election results: Alan GARCIA elected president in
runoff election; percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%,
Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%
Legislative unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso
branch: de la Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held
April 2011)
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
Judicial Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
branch: (judges are appointed by the National Council of the
Judiciary)
Political Alliance For Progress (Alianza Para El Progreso) [Cesar
parties and ACUNA Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza Por El
leaders: 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
[Valentin PANIAGUA Corazoa]; 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 leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael
pressure GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top
groups and leader at-large)]; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
leaders: or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo AVALLENEDA
Valdez (top leader at-large)]
International APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
participation: IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, 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, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Felipe ORTIZ de Zevallos
representation chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, Washington, DC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE
representation embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima
from the US: 33
mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American
Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000
telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000
FAX: [51] (1) 618-2397
Flag three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white,
description: 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
Economy - Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid
overview: 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 2002-2005,
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, the
TOLEDO administration remained unpopular in 2005, and
unemployment and poverty have stayed persistently high.
Economic growth will be driven by the Camisea natural
gas megaproject and by exports of minerals, textiles,
and agricultural products. Peru is expected to sign a
free-trade agreement with the United States in early
2006.
GDP $167.3 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $69.81 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $6,000 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 8%
composition by industry: 27%
sector: services: 65% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 9.06 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 9%
by occupation: industry: 18%
services: 73% (2001)
Unemployment 7.6% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
rate: (2005 est.)
Population 54% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 0.8%
income or highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 49.8 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 1.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 18.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $21.87 billion
expenditures: $22.47 billion; including capital
expenditures of $1.8 billion for general government,
but excluding private enterprises (2005 est.)
Public debt: 38% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn,
products: plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy
products; fish
Industries: mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal
fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural
gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing,
food processing
Industrial 6.9% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 22.68 billion kWh (2003 est.)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 14.5%
production by hydro: 84.7%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.8% (2001)
Electricity - 21.09 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 120,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 157,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 49,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 370 million bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 560 million cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 910 million cu m (2004 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 247.1 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $1.03 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $15.95 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum
commodities: products, coffee
Exports - US 31.1%, China 10.8%, Chile 6.6%, Canada 5.9%,
partners: Switzerland 4.6% (2005)
Imports: $12.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery,
commodities: vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper
Imports - US 18.2%, China 8.5%, Brazil 8%, Ecuador 7.4%, Colombia
partners: 6.1%, Argentina 5.1%, Chile 5.1%, Venezuela 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of $14.18 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $30.94 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $491 million (2002)
recipient:
Currency nuevo sol (PEN)
(code):
Currency code: PEN
Exchange nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.2958 (2005), 3.4132 (2004),
rates: 3.4785 (2003), 3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 2,250,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 5.583 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: adequate for most requirements
system: domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 51; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American
submarine cable
Radio AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 6.65 million (1997)
Television 13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 3.06 million (1997)
Internet .pe
country code:
Internet 269,981 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 10 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 4.6 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 268 (2006)
Airports - total: 54
with paved over 3,047 m: 6
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - total: 214
with unpaved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 124 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
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)
Railways: total: 3,462 km
standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 78,672 km
paved: 10,314 km (including 276 km of expressways)
unpaved: 68,358 km (2003)
Waterways: 8,808 km
note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon
system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2005)
Merchant total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 38,954 GRT/62,255 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Panama 15) (2006)
Ports and Callao, Iquitos, Matarani, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note -
terminals: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper
reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries
Military
Military Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del
branches: Peru; includes naval air, naval infantry, and coast
guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru; FAP)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 6,647,874
available for females age 18-49: 6,544,408 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 4,938,417
for military females age 18-49: 5,278,511 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 277,105
reaching females age 18-49: 269,799 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $829.3 million (2003 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.4% (2003 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005
international: unilateral law to shift the axis of their joint
treaty-defined maritime boundary along the parallel of
latitude to an equidistance line which favors Peru;
organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have
penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru does not support
Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a
sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian
border
Refugees and IDPs: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are
internally indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions)
displaced (2005)
persons:
Trafficking in current situation: Peru is primarily a source country
persons: 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
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