LOCATION:
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
AREA:
total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alaska
POPULATION:
27,925,628
(July 2005 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE:
0-14 years: 31.5%
(male 4,479,278/female 4,323,356)
15-64 years: 63.3%
(male 8,891,785/female 8,776,343)
65 years and over: 5.2%
(male 685,179/female 769,687)
(2005 est.)
MEDIAN AGE:
total: 24.95 years
male: 24.69 years
female: 25.21 years
(2005 est.)
POPULATION GROWTH:
1.36%
(2005 est.)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
total: 31.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.24 deaths/1,000 live births
(2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:
0.4 %
(World Fact Book estimates: 0.5%)
HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :
Ages 15-49:
80,000
low estimate:
39,000
high estimate:
130,000
HIV/AIDS-DEATH
4,200
low estimate:
2,100
high estimate:
7,300
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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.2%
female: 86.8%
(2003 est.)
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
note: 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)
ECONOMY:
Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy grew by an average 4 percent per year during the period 2002-2004, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2004, reflecting investor optimism regarding the government's prudent fiscal policies and openness to trade and investment. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, the TOLEDO administration remained unpopular in 2004, and unemployment and poverty have stayed persistently high.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $155.3 billion
(2004 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:
54%
(2003 est.)
INFLATION RATE:
3.8%
(2004 est.)
UNEMPLOYMENT:
9.6% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
(2004 est.)
EXCHANGE RATES:
nuevo sol per US dollar -
3.4126 (2004),
3.4785 (2003),
3.5165 (2002),
3.5068 (2001),
3.49 (2000)
ILLICIT DRUGS:
until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; emerging opium producer; cultivation of coca in Peru fell 15 percent to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end of 2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to Europe and Africa.
