World Atlas: Peru. On this page you can see the map, country flag and many detailed information about the people, history and economy of Peru.
Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Peru. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Peru. But let's start with the flag of Peru here:
Peru - Overview:
What you should know about Peru? Let's start with this: Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were 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 resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw a new election in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro Toledo Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan Garcia Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. Former army officer Ollanta Humala Tasso was elected president in June 2011, and carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations. Poverty and unemployment levels have fallen dramatically in the last decade, and today Peru boasts one of the best performing economies in Latin America. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard won a very narrow presidential runoff election in June 2016.
Geography of Peru
Where on the globe is Peru? The location of this country is Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuado. Total area of Peru is 1,285,216 sq km, of which 1,279,996 sq km is land. So this is very large country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva). The lowest point of Peru is Pacific Ocean 0 m, the highest point Nevado Huascaran 6,746 m. And the climate is varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes.
Inhabitants of Peru
Let's take a look how many people live in Peru. The number is: 31,036,656 (July 2017 est.). So quite a lot people live here. Who lives here? Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%. What are the languages in Peru? Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other (includes foreign languages and sign language) 0.2% (2007 est.). And the religions: Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, none 2.9% (2007 est.). How old are the people in average? 28 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 74 years. Where the people live in Peru? Here: approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated. The major urban areas of Peru are: LIMA (capital) 9.897 million; Arequipa 850,000; Trujillo 798,000 (2015).
Government and Economy of Peru
The capital of Peru is Lima and the government type presidential republic. Let's take a look at the 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. Regarding the economy of Peru, important industrial products are mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture. Important agricultural products are artichokes, asparagus, avocados, blueberries, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, quinoa, palm oil, marigolds, onions, wheat, dry beans; poultry, beef, pork, dairy products; guinea pigs; fish. The most important export commodities are copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas; coffee, asparagus and other vegetables, fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, fish, chemicals, fabricated metal products and machinery, alloys and the most important export partners are China 23.5%, US 17.3%, Switzerland 7.1%, Canada 4.7% (2016). The most important import commodities are petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, machinery, vehicles, TV sets, power shovels, front-end loaders, telephones and telecommunication equipment, iron and steel, wheat, corn, soybean products, paper, cotton, vaccines and medicines and the most important import partners are China 22.8%, US 20.2%, Brazil 5.8%, Mexico 4.5% (2016). How rich is Peru and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $13,300 (2017 est.). This is quite good. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: 22.7% (2014 est.).