Peru ( Peru) is a country in Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador. Peru geographic coordinates 10 00 S, 76 00 W; area 1.28 million sq km; area comparative slightly smaller than Alaska; land boundaries Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km; coastline 2,414 km; maritime claims 2; 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 A; elevation extremes Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m; natural resources copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas; land use 96.71% (2001); irrigated land 11,950 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity; 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 none of the selected agreements; 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;

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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. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government; his presidency has been hampered by allegations of corruption. government type constitutional 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 some reports indicate that the 24 departments and 1 constitutional province are now being referred to as regions; Peru is implementing a decentralization program whereby these 25 administrative divisions will begin to exercise greater governmental authority over their territories; in November 2002, voters chose their new regional presidents and other regional leaders; the authority that the regional governments will exercise has not yet been clearly defined, but it will be devolved to the regions over the course of several years; 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 and compulsory until the age of 70; n;

people

Peru population 27,925,628 (July 2005 est.); age structure 5.2% (male 685,179/female 769,687) (2005 est.); median age 25.21 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 1.36% (2005 est.); birth rate 20.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 34.53 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 71.37 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 2.56 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 0.5% (2003 est.); hiv people with aids 82,000 (2003 est.); hiv deaths 4,200 (2003 est.); nationality Peruvian; ethnic groups Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%; religions Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%; languages Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages; literacy 86.8% (2003 est.);

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