Geography
Location: Western South America, bordering the South
Pacific Ocean between Chile and Ecuador
Map
references: South America, Standard Time Zones of the
World
Area:
total area 1,285,220 sq km
land area 1.28 million sq km
comparative area slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: total 6,940 km, Bolivia 900 km, Brazil
1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420
km
Coastline: 2,414 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea 200 nm
International disputes: three sections of the boundary
with Ecuador are in dispute
Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert
in west
Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged
Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon
Basin (selva)
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum,
timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash
Land use:
arable land 3%
permanent crops 0%
meadows and pastures 21%
forest and woodland 55%
other 21%
Irrigated land: 12,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; air pollution in Lima
natural hazards subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides,
mild volcanic activity
international agreements party to - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed,
but not ratified - Tropical Timber
Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake, with Bolivia
People
Population: 23,650,671 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.86% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 25.55 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 54.2 deaths/1,000 live births
(1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population 65.62 years
male 63.44 years
female 67.9 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (1994
est.)
Nationality:
noun Peruvian(s)
adjective Peruvian
Ethnic divisions: Indian 45%, mestizo (mixed Indian
and European ancestry) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese,
Chinese, and other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population 85%
male 92%
female 29%
Labor force: 8 million (1992)
by occupation government and other services 44%, agriculture
37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)
Government
Names:
conventional long form Republic of Peru
conventional short form Peru
local long form Republica del Peru
local short form Peru
Digraph: PE
Type: republic
Capital: Lima
Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos,
singular - departamento) and 1 constitutional province*
(provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac,
Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica,
Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto,
Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin,
Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali
note the 1979 Constitution and legislation enacted from
1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions (regiones,
singular - region) intended to function eventually as autonomous
economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions
have been constituted from 23 existing departments - Amazonas
(from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco,
Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash),
Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios,
Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari
(from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua,
Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque,
Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali
(from Ucayali); formation of another region has been delayed
by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao
to merge with the department of Lima. Because of inadequate
funding from the central government and organizational and
political difficulties, the regions have yet to assume major
responsibilities. The 1993 Constitution maintains the regionalization
process with some modifications that will limit the powers
of the regional governments. The new constitution also reaffirms
the roles of departmental and municipal governments.
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Constitution: 31 December 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government President Alberto
Kenyo FUJIMORI Fujimori (since 28 July 1990); election last
held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held NA April 1995); results
- Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other
9.55%
cabinet Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
note Prime Minister Efrain GOLDENBERG Schreiber (since February
1994) does not exercise executive power; this power is in
the hands of the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
Democratic Constituent Congress (CCD) elections last held
25 November 1992 (next to be held April 1995); seats - (80
total) New Majority/Change 90 44, Popular Christian Party
8, Independent Moralization Front 7, Renewal 6, Movement
of the Democratic Left 4, Democratic Coordinator 4, others
7; note - several major parties (American Popular Revolutionary
Alliance, Popular Action) did not participate; with the
next election the congress will be expanded to 100 seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema
de Justicia)
Political parties and leaders:
note Peru's political party system has become fragmented
in recent years with independent movements proliferating;
key parties are listed New Majority/Change 90 (Cambio 90),
Alberto FUJIMORI; Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA
Reyes; Popular Action Party (AP), Raul DIEZ CANSECO; American
Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Armando VILLANUEVA
del CAMPO; Independent Moralizing Front (FIM), Fernando
OLIVERA Vega; National Renewal, Rafael REY Rey; Democratic
Coordinator, Jose BARBA Caballero; Democratic Left Movement,
Henry PEASE; Solidarity and Democracy (SODE), Manuel MOREYRA;
National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger
CACARES
Other political or pressure groups: leftist guerrilla
groups include Shining Path, Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned);
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor SERPA and Victor
POLAY (imprisoned)
Member of: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24,
G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
PCA, RG (suspended), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag: 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 llama,
cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia
spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
Economy
Overview: The Peruvian economy is becoming increasingly
market oriented, with major privatizations scheduled for
1994 in the mining and telecommunications industries. In
the 1980s the economy suffered from hyperinflation, declining
per capita output, and mounting external debt. Peru was
shut off from IMF and World Bank support in the mid-1980s
because of its huge debt arrears. An austerity program implemented
shortly after the FUJIMORI government took office in July
1990 contributed to a third consecutive yearly contraction
of economic activity, but the slide halted late that year,
and output rose 2.4% in 1991. After a burst of inflation
as the austerity program eliminated government price subsidies,
monthly price increases eased to the single-digit level
and by December 1991 dropped to the lowest increase since
mid-1987. Lima obtained a financial rescue package from
multilateral lenders in September 1991, although it faced
$14 billion in arrears on its external debt. By working
with the IMF and World Bank on new financial conditions
and arrangements, the government succeeded in ending its
arrears by March 1993. In 1992, GDP fell by 2.8%, in part
because a warmer-than-usual El Nino current resulted in
a 30% drop in the fish catch. In 1993 the economy rebounded
as strong foreign investment helped push growth to 6%.
National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent
- $70 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: 6% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $3,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 39% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2 billion
expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures
of $300 million (1992 est.)
Exports: $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities copper, zinc, fishmeal, crude petroleum and
byproducts, lead, refined silver, coffee, cotton
partners US 25%, Japan 9%, Italy, Germany
Imports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs,
petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
partners US 30%, Colombia, Argentina, Japan, Germany, Brazil
External debt: $22 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -5% (1992 est.);
accounts for 32% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
capacity 5,042,000 kW
production 17.434 billion kWh
consumption per capita 760 kWh (1992)
Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles,
clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel,
shipbuilding, metal fabrication
Agriculture: accounts for 13% of GDP, about 35% of labor
force; commercial crops - coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other
crops - rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; animal products
- poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient in
grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 6.9 million metric
tons (1990)
Illicit drugs: world's largest coca leaf producer with
about 108,800 hectares under cultivation in 1993; source
of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine
base; at least 85% of coca cultivation is for illicit production;
most of cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers
for processing into cocaine for the international drug market
Economic aid:
recipient US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $4.3 billion; Communist countries
(1970-89), $577 million
Currency: 1 nuevo sol (S/.) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: nuevo sol (S/.) per US$1 - 2.180 (January
1994), 1.988 (1993), 1.245 (1992), 0.772 (1991), 0.187 (1990),
0.0027 (1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,801 km total; 1,501 km 1.435-meter gauge,
300 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways:
total 69,942 km
paved 7,459 km
unpaved improved earth 13,538 km; unimproved earth 48,945
km
Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries
of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca
Pipelines: crude oil 800 km; natural gas and natural
gas liquids 64 km
Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
Merchant marine: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
142,425 GRT/229,746 DWT, bulk 3, cargo 10, oil tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
note in addition, 6 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are
sometimes used commercially
Airports:
total 252
usable 222
with permanent-surface runways 37
with runways over 3,659 m 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 24
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 54
Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements;
nationwide microwave system; 544,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; satellite
earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 12 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra
del Peru), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,199,785; fit
for military service 4,188,706; reach military age (20)
annually 246,427 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $500
million, about 2% of GDP (1991)
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