PERU
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area: 1,280,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; 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
Disputes: two 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 NEGL%; meadows and
pastures 21%; forest and woodland 55%; other 21%; includes irrigated
1%
Environment: subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild
volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; air pollution in Lima
Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
lake, with Bolivia
PEOPLE
Population: 22,361,785 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
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%
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish and Quechua (both official), Aymara
Literacy: 85% (male 92%, female 29%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); government and other services 44%,
agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)
Organized labor: about 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Peru
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, the regions have yet to assume their reponsibilities and at
the moment co-exist with the departmental structure
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979
Constitution because the Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the
Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished
civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral
legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an
upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of
Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State--President Alberto FUJIMORI (since 28 July 1990);
Vice President Maximo SAN ROMAN (since 28 July 1990);
Vice President Carlos GARCIA (since 28 July 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Carlos TORRES Y TORRES Lara
(since 15 February 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI;
Democratic Front (FREDEMO), a loosely organized three-party
coalition--Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes;
Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando BELAUNDE Terry;
and Liberty Movement;
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Luis ALVA Castro;
National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACERES;
United Left (IU), run by committee;
Socialist Left (IS), Enrique BERNALES
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President--last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995);
results--Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other
9.55%;
Senate--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(60 total) FREDEMO 20, APRA 16, Change 90 14, IU 6, IS 3,
FRENATRACA 1;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 8 April 1990 (next to be held April
1995);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(180 total) FREDEMO 62, APRA 53, Change 90 32, IU 16, IS 4,
FRENATRACA 3, other 10
Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet,
2,000; other minor Communist parties
Other political or pressure groups:
leftist guerrilla groups--Shining Path, leader Abimael GUZMAN;
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor CERPA and Victor POLLAY
Member of: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roberto G. MACLEAN; Chancery
at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202)
833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey),
San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US--Ambassador Anthony C.E. QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of
Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing
address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 100, or APO Miami 34031); telephone
51 (14) 338-000
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 basically capitalistic, with a
large dose of government welfare programs and government management of
credit. 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 was able to
generate a small recovery in the last quarter. After a burst of
inflation as the program eliminated government price subsidies, monthly
price increases eased to the single-digit level for the first time
since mid-1988. Lima has restarted current payments to multilateral
lenders and, although it faces $14 billion in arrears on its external
debt, is working toward an accommodation with its creditors.
GDP: $19.3 billion, per capita $898; real growth rate - 3.9%
(1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7,650% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 20.0%; underemployment estimated at 60% (1989)
Budget: revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports: $3.01 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore,
refined silver, lead, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts;
partners--EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
Imports: $2.78 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and
steel semimanufactures, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners--US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC 12%, Japan 7%,
Switzerland 3%
External debt: $20.0 billion (December 1990)
Industrial production: growth rate - 21% (1989); accounts
for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced,
710 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles,
clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding,
metal fabrication
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP, 37% 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
4.6 million metric tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
Illicit drugs: world's largest coca leaf producer with about
121,000 hectares under cultivation; source of supply for most of the
world's coca paste and cocaine base; about 85% of 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: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $3.95 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $577 million
Currency: inti (plural--intis); 1 inti (I/) = 1,000 soles
Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1--530,000 (January 1991),
187,886 (1990), 2,666 (1989), 128.83 (1988), 16.84 (1987), 13.95 (1986),
10.97 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 1,884 km total; 1,584 km 1.435-meter standard gauge,
300 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel,
14,610 km improved earth, 24,140 km unimproved earth
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: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 321,541
GRT/516,859 DWT; includes 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
8 bulk; note--in addition, 8 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are
sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 222 total, 205 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways;
2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements;
nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations--273 AM, no
FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations, 12
domestic antennas
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del
Peru), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), Peruvian National Police
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,704,684; 3,859,123 fit for
military service; 241,792 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: $430 million, 2.4% of GDP (1991)