Peru - The Country
Official
Name: República del Perú (Republic
of Peru)
Area: 1'285,215 square km
Population: 22'639,000 (census of 1993) - 25'662,00 (estimated
2000)
Capital of the Republic: Lima
Historical capital: Cusco
Localization
It is located in the central and western part of South
America, it limits to the N with Ecuador, to the NE
with Colombia,
to the E with Brazil, to the SE with Bolivia, to the
S with Chile and to the W with the Pacific Ocean. The
marine
domain
is called "Sea of Grau" (in honor of a Peruvian
Hero Admiral Miguel Grau), reaches a distance of 200
marine miles from the coastline.
The Peruvian
State has also affirmed its presence in the Antarctic
like Advisory Member of the Treaty of
the Antarctic.
Geography
The Peruvian territory possesses a great geographical
contrast and presents three defined natural regions,
parallel among
each other from north to south.
The coast
Located
to the west, it is a narrow fringe of desert, sandy
and arid plains, with valleys oasis
formed
by rivers that go down from the Andes Mountains to
the sea, and in these valleys big populated centers
are located.
The Mountains
Also called Andean region
is of uneven topography, it is formed by the Mountain
range of
the Andes, and is
located between the coast and the forest; high
mountains, deep valleys,
plateaus. The highest pick in Peru is the Huascarán
and it has 22,224 feet (6,780 m) above sea level.
The
forest
Also called Amazonian, mountain or east,
located to the east, formed by the oriental
hillsides
of the Mountain
range of the Andes and extensive plains with exuberant
vegetation and tropical forests. It is furrowed
by numerous rivers,
all tributary of the Amazonas River. The forest
occupies more than 50% of the territory existing
some zones
that are in full discovery and investigation stage.
Time
In the whole Peruvian territory rules the same
hour, without hour change in any time of the
year.
The hour in Peru is -5 GMT (UT)
Lima, capital of Peru, is located in longitude
77° O.
Population
The Peruvian people is multiethnic and has a
pluralism of cultures, descendants of the Colombian
cultures,
the colonial
miscegenation and immigrations.
The estimated population for 1998 is of 24'866,000
inhabitants with an annual growth rate of 1.9%.
The metropolis of Lima
concentrates the 28% of population.
Geographical
distribution of population
Lima department: 32.1%
North and central Mountain: 19.4%
North Coast: 16.9%
Andean trapeze: 15.7%
South Coast: 8.2%
Forest: 7.7%
Ethnic people in Peru
Indians (Quechua and aimaras): 48%
Mestizos (cholos): 32%
White: 12%
Black and mulattos: 6%
Others: 2%
Education
School, Primary (6 degrees) obligatory, Secondary
(4 degrees) obligatory, and high school
(2 degrees). Numerous
technological
superior institutes and 54 universities
in the national environment with near 500 thousand
university
students
give the superior
education.
For more information and statistical data
on the Peruvian population Instituto Nacional
de Estadística e Informática
(INEI).
Languages
The official language of Peru is the Spanish,
and in the areas where prevail are also
the Quechua, Aimara
and other
aboriginal languages.
English is a language that many people
linked to the tourism sector dominate,
and the tourist
operators
dominate other
foreign languages, as German, French,
Italian, Japanese, etc.
Religion
In Peru exist the freedom of credo or
religion. The State recognizes the
Catholic Church
as an important
element in
the historical, cultural and moral
formation of Peru, and lends its collaboration.
The State respects
other
confessions.
The population in Peru is Catholic
89%, Evangelical 6.7% and other religions
2.6%.
Political system
According to the last Constitution
of 1993, Peru is a democratic, social,
independent
and sovereign
republic.
Its government is unitary, representative
and decentralized, and is organized
according to
the principle of
the separation of powers.
The Executive
Power
The President of the Republic is the Chief of
State
and
personifies
the Nation,
is chosen by direct
vote and absolute majority. Their
command is for 5 years. The President
is accompanied
by
2 Vice
Presidents and the
Council of Ministers. The President
of the Republic is Dr. Alejandro
Toledo (July 2001
- July 2006).
The Legislative Power
It resides in the Congress, which consists of
a unique
chamber,
and it
is conformed by 120
congress members that are chosen
democratically by a 5 year-period
and their renovation
coincides with
that of the President
of the Republic.
Beside them also exist the Judicial
Power, The Council of the Magistracy,
The Public
Ministry, The Defense
of the Town
and the Constitutional Guaranty Tribunal.
The local governments are in charge
of the Municipal Council, constituted
by
the Mayor
and the advisors
for each one of
the county capitals and districts.
They are chosen democratically every
5 years
and they
have political,
economic and administrative
autonomy in the matters that are
of their competition.
Geopolitical
division
Peru is divided in 24 departments
and 1 constitutional county.
Each department is divided in counties,
189 counties exist in the national
environment. Each county
is divided in districts,
1800 districts exist in the national
environment (modernized in 1994)
The capital of the Republic of Peru
is Lima
The Historical capital of Peru is
Cusco
Main cities of Peru
* Lima 7'497,000
inhabitants (2000)
* Arequipa 762,000
* Trujillo 652,000
* Chiclayo 517,000
* Iquitos 367,000
* Chimbote 336,000
* Piura 325,000
* Huancayo 327,000
* Cusco 291,000 |
