Background: After a dozen years of military rule Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980. In recent years bold reform programs and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity and drug trafficking have resulted in solid economic growth.

Area
Total: 1,285,220 km²
Land: 1.28 million km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries: Total 6,940 km, Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,414 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 200 nm

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)

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 21%
Forests and woodland: 55%
Other: 21%

Irrigated land: 12,500 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Peruvian(s)
Adjective: Peruvian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara

Religions: Roman Catholic

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; 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
Current issues Natural hazards: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
International agreements: party to_Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements note: Shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.13 years (1996 est.); 66.07 years (1995 est.)
Male: 66.97 years (1996 est.); 63.86 years (1995 est.)
Female: 71.39 years (1996 est); 68.38 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 88.7%
Male: 94.5%
Female: 83%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Peru
Conventional short form: Peru
Local long form: Republica del Peru
Local short form: Peru

Government 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 mandated the creation of regions (regiones, singular_region) to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 of the 24 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 and organizational and political difficulties, the regions have yet to assume major responsibilities; the 1993 Constitution retains the regions but limits their authority; the 1993 Constitution also reaffirms the roles of departmental and municipal governments.

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

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Alberto Kenyo FUJIMORI Fujimori (since 28 July 1990); election last held 9 April 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); results_Alberto FUJIMORI 64.42%, Javier PEREZ de CUELLAR 21.80%, Mercedes CABANILLAS 4.11%, other 9.67%
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Note: Prime Minister Alberto PANDOLFI Arbulu (since 3 April 1996) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral Congress:Elections last held 9 April 1995 (next to be held NA 2000; results_C90/NM 52.1% of the total vote, UPP 14%, eleven other parties 33.9%; seats_(120 total, when installed on 28 July 1995) C90/NM 67, UPP 17, APRA 8, FIM 6, (CODE)-Pais Posible 5, AP 4, PPC 3, Renovacion 3, IU 2, OBRAS 2, MIA 1, FRENATRACA 1, (FREPAP) 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

International organization participation: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Flag description: 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 has become increasingly market-oriented, with major privatizations completed since 1990 in the mining, electricity, and telecommunications industries. 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 the slide came to a halt late that year, and in 1991 output rose 2.4%. After a burst of inflation as the austerity program eliminated government price subsidies, monthly price increases eased to the single-digit level and by December 1991 dropped to the lowest increase since mid-1987. Lima obtained a financial rescue package from multilateral lenders in September 1991, although it faced $14 billion in arrears on its external debt. By working with the IMF and World Bank on new financial conditions and arrangements, the government succeeded in ending its arrears by March 1993. In 1992, GDP fell by 2.8%, in part because a warmer-than-usual El Nino current resulted in a 30% drop in the fish catch, but the economy rebounded as strong foreign investment helped push growth to 6% in 1993, about 13% in 1994, and 6.8% in 1995.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: Accounts for 12% of GDP, about 35% 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 6.9 million metric tons (1990)

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 8 million (1992)
By occupation government and other services: 44%
By occupation agriculture: 37%
By occupation industry: 19% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15%; extensive underemployment (1992 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $8.5 billion (1996 est.); $2 billion (1992 est.)
Expenditures: $9.3 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.); $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $22.4 billion (1994 est.)

Exchange rates: Nuevo sol (S/.) per US$1_2.350 (January 1996), 2.253 (1995), 2.195 (1994), 1.988 (1993), 1.246 (1992), 0.773 (1991), 0.187 (1990)

Electricity
Capacity: 4,190,000 kW
Production: 11.2 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 448 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 779,306 telephones (1990 est.); fairly adequate for most requirements
Local: NA
Intercity: nationwide microwave radio relay system and 12 domestic satellite links
International: 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $998 million, 1.6% of GDP (1996; $810 million, about 2.7% of GDP (1994)

Airports: 230
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 96
With paved runways With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 22
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 71 (1995 est.)

Pipelines: Crude oil 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids 64 km

Waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca

Merchant marine
Total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 77,584 GRT/144,030 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 7 (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs: World's largest coca leaf producer with about 108,600 hectares under cultivation in 1994; source of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine base; at least 85% of coca cultivation is for illicit production; most of cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market, but exports of finished cocaine are increasing