Peru

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were 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, an economic slump and the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. <br><br>A caretaker government oversaw a new election in 2001 that installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, presided over a robust economic rebound. Former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president in 2011 and carried on the market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations. Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard won a very narrow runoff in the 2016 presidential election. Facing impeachment after evidence surfaced of his involvement in a vote-buying scandal, KUCZYNSKI offered his resignation in 2018, and First Vice President Martin Alberto VIZCARRA Cornejo was sworn in as president. In 2019, VIZCARRA invoked his constitutional authority to dissolve Peru's Congress after months of battling with the body over anticorruption reforms. New congressional elections in 2020 resulted in an opposition-led legislature. The Congress impeached VIZCARRA for a second time and removed him from office after accusations of corruption and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of vacancies in the vice-presidential positions, the President of the Peruvian Congress, Manuel MERINO, became the next president. His ascension to office was not well received, and large protests forced his resignation later in 2020. Francisco SAGASTI assumed the position of President of Peru after being appointed President of the Congress the previous day. Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones won presidential election in 2021 but was impeached and ousted the following year; his vice president, Dina BOLUARTE, assumed the presidency by constitutional succession in 2022.

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

10 00 S, 76 00 W

South America

almost twice the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

2,414 km

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

25,800 sq km (2012)

Amazon river source (shared with Brazil [m]) - 6,400 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Amazon Basin

approximately one third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the&nbsp; west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, contain roughly half of the population; the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjoining rainforest are sparsely populated

earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Ubinas (5,672 m) is the country's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes include El Misti, Huaynaputina, Sabancaya, and Yucamane; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

<strong>note 1:</strong> shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316-m (17,441-ft) peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> Peru is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> on 19 February 1600, Mount Huaynaputina in the southern Peruvian Andes erupted in the largest volcanic explosion in South America in historical times; intermittent eruptions lasted until 5 March 1600 and pumped an estimated 16 to 32 million metric tons of particulates into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface and affecting weather worldwide; over the next two-and-a-half years, millions died around the globe in famines from bitterly cold winters, cool summers, and the loss of crops and animals

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 60.2%, Indigenous 25.8%, White 5.9%, African descent 3.6%, other (includes Chinese and Japanese descent) 1.2%, unspecified 3.3% (2017 est.)

Catholic 76%, Evangelical Christian 15.7%, no religion 5.1%, other religions 3.2% (2017 est.)

0.55% (2025 est.)

16.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

approximately one third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the&nbsp; west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, contain roughly half of the population; the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjoining rainforest are sparsely populated

11.204 million LIMA (capital), 959,000 Arequipa, 904,000 Trujillo (2023)

21.9 years (2013 est.)

51 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.12 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.04 (2025 est.)

1.69 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

19.7% (2016)

2.7% (2023 est.)

52.7% (2022 est.)

deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes; overfishing

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

31.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1.88 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

24 departments (<em>departamentos</em>, singular - <em>departamento</em>), 1 province* (<em>provincia</em>), and 1 constitutional province** (<em>provincia constitucional</em>); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao**, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

civil law system

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70

Advance the Nation (Avanza País) or AvP<br>Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APP<br>Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or FA<br>Free Peru (Perú Libre) or PL<br>Front for Hope (Frente Esperanza)<br>Magisterial Block of National Concentration (Bloque Magisterial de Concertación Nacional) or BMCN<br>National Victory (Victoria Nacional) or VN<br>Peru Bicentennial (Perú Bicentenario) or PB<br>Popular Action (Acción Popular) or AP<br>Popular Force (Fuerza Popular) or FP<br>Popular Renewal (Renovación Popular) or RP<br>Purple Party (Partido Morado)<br>Social Integration Party (Avanza País - Partido de Integración Social)<br>Together For Perú (Juntos por el Peru) or JP<br>We Are Peru (Somos Perú) of SP<br>We Can Peru (Podemos Perú) or PP

AIIB, APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

28 July 1821 (from Spain)

Independence Day, 28-29 July (1821)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of red (left side), white, and red, with the coat of arms centered on the white band; the coat of arms has a shield with a vicuna, a cinchona tree, and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the vicuna represents fauna, the cinchona tree is the source of quinine, and the cornucopia symbolizes mineral wealth; red stands for blood shed for independence, and white for peace

vicuna (a camelid related to the llama)

red, white

<p>upper-middle-income South American economy; strong post-COVID rebound tempered by political uncertainty and climate risks; exports driven by mineral extraction and agriculture; large informal sector and uneven access to public services; stable fiscal position and financial sector</p>

$289.222 billion (2024 est.)

sugarcane, potatoes, rice, bananas, milk, maize, chicken, oil palm fruit, cassava, grapes (2023)

mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture

3.1% (2024 est.)

18.918 million (2024 est.)

27.5% (2022 est.)

15.9% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

China 34%, USA 14%, Canada 5%, India 4%, Switzerland 4% (2023)

copper ore, gold, refined copper, refined petroleum, grapes (2023)

China 26%, USA 21%, Brazil 7%, Argentina 5%, Mexico 3% (2023)

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment (2023)

10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 5,000 radio stations including a substantial number of local-language stations (2021)

.pe

OB

174 (2025)

7 (2025)

Armed Forces of Peru (Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or FAP): Peruvian Army (Ejercito del Peru), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP, includes naval infantry and General Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guards, DICAPI), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)<br><br>Ministry of the Interior: Peruvian National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) (2025)

information varies; approximately 85,000 active-duty Armed Forces (50,000 Army; 25,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force); approximately 75,000 National Police (2025)

the military's inventory consists of mostly older or secondhand armaments originating from a range of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Korea, Spain, and the US; Peru has a small defense industry, including a shipyard that builds and upgrades naval vessels; it also has defense industrial cooperation agreements with several countries, including Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the US (2025)

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (12-24 months) (2025)

225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

the Peruvian Armed Forces (FAP) are responsible for external defense in addition to some domestic security responsibilities in designated emergency areas and in exceptional circumstances; key areas of focus include counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, cyber defense, disaster relief, and maritime security operations; the FAP supported the police during anti-government protests in early 2023; it has contributed to UN missions since 1958 and has ties to regional militaries, particularly Colombia, as well as those of numerous other countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and the US; the FAP’s last external conflict was a brief border war with Ecuador in 1995<br><br>the Special Command of the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers (CE-VRAEM) is responsible for combating the remnants of the Shining Path terrorist group (aka Sendero Luminoso) and includes several thousand air, ground, naval, police, and special forces personnel; the FAP also provides aircraft, vehicles, and logistical support to the command (2025)

National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (Comisi&oacute;n Nacional de Investigaci&oacute;n y Desarrollo Aeroespacia, CONIDA; established 1974) (2025)

in 2024, Peru announced an initiative to develop a future spaceport in Talara (Piura department)

focuses on acquiring satellites, applying space applications such as data satellite imagery, and building small rockets; has built a small science/technology satellite; operates satellites and processes satellite imagery data; builds and launches sounding rockets with goal of developing a satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV); researching, developing, and acquiring technologies for manufacturing satellites and satellite payloads, including remote sensing (RS) capabilities; member of Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) since its formation in 2021; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, China, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France and Germany), India, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and the US, as well as other ALCE signatories (2025)

2006 - launched first sounding rocket/space probe (Paulet-1)<br><br>2013 - first domestically built scientific/research satellite (PUCP-SAT-1) launched by Russia; launched first domestically built rocket (Paulet 1-B) capable of reaching the stratosphere<br><br>2016 - first remote sensing satellite (PeruSat-1) acquired from France and launched on European rocket<br><br>2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords on space and lunar exploration

Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso); Tren de Aragua (TdA)