Geography

  • Area: 1.28 million sq km. Peru is the third-largest country in South America and is roughly five times the size of the United Kingdom and four times the size of Italy.
  • Capital and largest city: Lima, (8.5 million in the metropolitan area).
  • Major cities and their populations: Arequipa (836,859), Chiclayo (757,452), Chimbote (423,381), Cusco (420,030), Huancayo (336,054), Iquitos (452,757), Piura (450,363), Tacna (298,044), and Trujillo (751,960).
  • Terrain: arid coastal plains to the west, rugged Andean mountains in the central part of the country, lowlands to the east with tropical forests that are part of the Amazon basin.
  • Climate: arid and mild in coastal areas, temperate to cold in the Andes, hot and humid in the jungle lowlands.

Population

  • Nationality: Peruvian.
  • Ethnic groups: Indigenous (45%), mixed background/mestizo (37%), European (15%), African, Japanese, Chinese, and other (3%).
  • Population (2011): 29.8 million (nearly 30% of the population lives in the Lima-Callao metropolitan area).
  • Annual population growth rate (2011): 1.14%.
  • Religions: Roman Catholic (81%), other (19%).
  • Languages: Spanish is the principal language. Quechua, Aymara, and other indigenous languages also hold official status.
  • Education: compulsory for 11 years. Attendance: ages 6-11, 92%; ages 12-16, 66%. Literacy rate: 96% in urban areas, 80% in rural areas.
  • Health: life expectancy (2007): men, 68 years; women, 72 years.

Government

  • Type: Constitutional Republic.
  • President: Ollanta Humala (July 2011).
  • Independence: July 28, 1821.
  • Constitution: December 31, 1993.
  • Executive: President, two Vice-Presidents, and a Council of Ministers led by the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister).
  • Administration: 25 regions (sometimes called departments) subdivided into 195 provinces and 1,834 districts.
  • Political parties: Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA), Popular Christian Party (PPC), Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP), Peru Posible (PP), Popular Action (AP), National Solidarity (SN), Union for Peru (UPP), Somos Peru (SP), National Restoration (RN), and Force 2011.
  • Right to vote: universal and mandatory for citizens aged 18-70.

Economy

  • GDP (2010): US $154 billion.
  • Annual growth rate: 8.8% (2010) – 6.9% (2011), with growth of around 5% projected for 2012.
  • GDP per capita (2010): $5,224.
  • Natural resources: copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, iron ore, fish, petroleum, natural gas, and forestry.
  • Manufacturing (2010): 15% of GDP. Sectors: food and beverages, textiles and apparel, non-ferrous and precious metals, non-metallic minerals, oil refining, paper, chemicals, iron and steel, fishmeal, footwear, machinery, furniture.
  • Agriculture (2010): 7.5% of GDP. Products: coffee, cotton, asparagus, paprika, artichokes, sugarcane, potatoes, rice, bananas, corn, poultry, milk, fruit, and others.
  • Other sectors, as a percentage of GDP (2010): services (55.6%), mining (6.2%), construction (6.7%), fisheries (0.3%).
  • Trade (Peruvian government customs statistics for 2010): Exports: $35 billion: gold, copper, fishmeal, petroleum, zinc, textiles, apparel, asparagus, coffee, others. Main markets: United States (16.3%), China (15.5%), Switzerland (11.0%), Canada (9.5%), Japan (5.1%), Germany (4.3%), Chile (3.9%), and Spain (3.3%). Imports: US $27.9 billion: petroleum and petroleum products, vehicles, plastics, steel, telephones, wheat, soybean oil and soy products, corn, chemicals, commercial machinery, processed food products, electronic goods. Main suppliers: United States (19.5%), China (16.8%), Brazil (7.4%), Ecuador (5.0%), Japan (4.5%), Colombia (4.6%), and Mexico (3.8%).

Communications and Media

  • Landlines: 3.2 million (2010).
  • Mobile phones: 29.1 million (2010).
  • Radio: 72.1% (2007 census).
  • TV: 61% (2007 census).
  • Internet users: 9.2 million (2009).
  • Country internet code: .pe
  • Time zone: GMT-5.

Transport

  • Airports: 201 in total (2009); 57 with paved runways; 144 with unpaved runways (mostly airstrips).
    • Main airports:
    • Lima: “Jorge Chavez” international airport.
    • Arequipa: “Teniente FAP. Alfredo Rodriguez Ballon” international airport.
    • Cusco: “Alejandro Velasco Astete” international airport.
    • Trujillo: “Cap. FAP. Carlos Martinez de Pinillos” airport.
    • Tacna: “Coronel FAP. Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa” airport.
  • Railways: 1,989 km of railway track (total in 2008); 1,726 km standard gauge, 263 km narrow gauge.
  • Roads: 78,829 km of roads (total in 2004); 11,351 km paved; 67,478 km unpaved.
  • Waterways: 8,808 km of waterways (total in 2008).
  • Main ports: Callao, Paita, Salaverry, Chimbote, Pisco, Ilo (on the Pacific), Iquitos and Pucallpa (in the Amazon).