Peru

Full name of country: Republic of Peru

Region: South America

Official language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara

Population: 32,600,249 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Peruvian(s) (noun), Peruvian (adjective)

Land area: 1,279,996 sq km (494,209 sq miles)

Water area: 5,220 sq km (2,015 sq miles)

Capital: Lima

National anthem: "Himno Nacional del Peru" (National Anthem of Peru), by Jose De La Torre Ugarte/Jose Bernardo Alzedo

National holiday: Independence Day, July 28 (1821)

Population growth: 0.48% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –5

Flag: Peru's flag is a vertical triband, with red stripes (symbolizing the blood shed in achieving independence) on the left and right and a white center stripe (symbolizing peace), with the Peruvian coat of arms centered in the white band.

Independence: July 28, 1821 (from Spain)

Government type: constitutional republic

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

Legal system: civil law system

Peru, known officially as the Republic of Peru, is a country in South America. Its neighbors are Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the northeast, Brazil to the east, and Bolivia and Chile to the southeast. Its entire western border lies on the South Pacific Ocean. The westernmost portion of the Amazon River pours into Peru from Brazil.

The culturally and scientifically advanced Inca Empire was situated in what is now Peru, but this once vast culture was mostly destroyed by Spanish conquistadors during the sixteenth century. Peru achieved independence from Spain in 1821. Today, it is considered one of the most important economic powers in Latin America.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: According to the 2017 census, the majority populations of Peru are Mestizo, or mixed Indigenous and White (60.2 percent of the population), and Indigenous (around 25.8 percent). Approximately 5.9 percent of the population is White, 3.6 percent is of African descent, 3.3 percent is of unspecified ethnicity, and 1.2 percent is of other heritage, including Chinese and Japanese descent (2017 estimates). Because of the large Indigenous and Mestizo populations, many Indigenous languages are spoken. Some languages have only a handful of speakers, while others are more widely spoken. Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara are the official languages of Peru.

As in most of Latin America, the majority religion in Peru is Roman Catholicism, practiced by 66.4 percent of the population. Another 22.4 percent is another denomination of Christian, including Evangelical Protestant, and 2.1 percent are small minorities of Jews, Muslims, and adherents of other religions. About 6.8 percent follow no religion (2023 estimates).

The largest cities in Peru are Lima (population of 11.204 million), Arequipa (population 959,000), and Trujillo (population 904,000), and most of the population of Peru (78.9 percent) lives in urban areas (2023 estimates). The economic, social, and political disparity between the Indigenous peoples of Peru and the wealthy, predominantly White population is a source of continued conflict in Peruvian society.

The class system in Peru is complex: not only is there widespread classism between people of European descent and those of other racial backgrounds, there are also many levels of classism between Mestizos and Indigenous peoples, and between Indigenous tribes.

Peru ranked 87 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index.

Indigenous People: Historically, the Indigenous people that had the most effect on Peru were the Incas, who held a vast empire that stretched between the equator and southern Chile in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Inca civilization was one of the most advanced in the Western Hemisphere prior to the arrival of European explorers, who took only a few years to decimate the population and wipe out all possibility that the Inca Empire would ever rebuild itself.

Many of Peru's Indigenous peoples are poor and lack political representation, as is true of many Indigenous populations throughout the Americas. The Quechua and Aymara peoples of Peru also suffer from poor public health conditions and reliance on manual labor for their income. The Indigenous peoples who live on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains and along the Amazon basin are ethnically distinct from the Indigenous peoples who live in the Peruvian highlands.

Education: Peru's constitution allows for free and compulsory schooling from the primary school level through age sixteen. In 2020, the estimated literacy rate among Peruvians was 94.5 percent, about double the rate during the 1950s. Rural Peruvians are less likely to attend high school because of the lack of regional educational resources, but a high percentage of urban Peruvians attend secondary school.

Among the country's most important colleges and universities are the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Universidad Nacional de San Marcos in Lima (also one of its oldest), Universidad de Lima, Universidad Nacional de San Agustin, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, and Universidad del Pacifico.

Health Care: An estimated 27.5 percent of Peruvians lived below the poverty line in 2022, and many do not have adequate health care. Many have little or no access to primary health care services, particularly in rural areas. As a result of some government health reforms, infant and maternal death rates have decreased since the 1990s. In 2020, Peru's health expenditure was 6.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). In 2018, it was estimated that there were 1.37 physicians per 1,000 people. The average life expectancy among Peruvians was 68.9 years in 2024, at 72.7 years for women and 65.4 years for men.

Food: Common elements of Peruvian cuisine include potatoes, rice, peppers, maize, meats (chicken, pork and fish, as well as, traditionally, deer), squash, yams, fruits such as bananas and papayas, and spices.

Popular Peruvian foods include potato-based dishes such as papas a la huancaina (a cheese sauce), locro (potato soup), and papas rellenas (potatoes stuffed with meat). Chicken is a popular menu item; aji de gallina is a dish of chicken in a spiced milk sauce, and arroz con pollo is a simple dish of chicken and rice. Maize dishes, such as tamales, are also popular, along with Asian and Italian foods.

Distinctly Peruvian culinary experiences include lomo saltado, which consists of beef stir-fried with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and french fries. Anticuchos are skewers of grilled meat, and come in many varieties, including anticuchos de corazon (beef hearts). Ceviche, a cold mixture of vegetables and raw seafood marinated in lime juice, is widely consumed in coastal areas. Pisco, the national drink, is a spirit distilled from grapes.

Peru's Incan heritage is also expressed in the country's food. Cuy is a traditional dish of roasted guinea pig, usually eaten on special occasions. Chicha is a traditional Incan beverage made from fermented maize. In the Andes, the leaves of the coca plant are chewed to help alleviate the effects of the high altitudes. A mild stimulant (similar to caffeine), coca leaves are used to brew maté de coca, a tea drunk throughout Peru.

Arts & Entertainment: Peruvian culture is highly influenced by its Incan heritage, Indigenous folk arts and traditions, and the Spanish heritage of its minority White population. Incan civilization is still extant in the architecture found throughout Peru, notably at Machu Picchu and in the city of Cusco.

Important Peruvian cultural figures include Nobel Prize–winning author Mario Vargas Llosa (also an unsuccessful presidential candidate) and poet César Vallejo; artists José Carlos Ramos, José Sabogal, and Fernando de Szyszlo; and opera singer Luigi Alva.

Traditional musical instruments include flutes, panpipes, drums, guitars, fiddles, and horns. The national instrument is the charango, a type of mandolin.

Peruvians are fond of football (soccer), volleyball, bullfighting, horse racing, and cockfighting. The Peruvian national football team has appeared in multiple World Cup tournaments. The team was victorious in two Copa América tournaments.

Holidays: Holidays in Peru include religious and public holidays. Christian holidays include Holy Week and Easter, a week-long celebration in March or April; Feast of San Pedro y San Pablo, or Saints Peter and Paul (June 29); the Feast of Santa Rosa de Lima (August 30); Santa Fortunata (October 14), in honor of a teenage martyr whose remains were brought to Peru; and El Señor de los Milagros, or Lord of the Miracles (October 20). The major secular holidays are New Year's Day (January 1); Labor Day (May 1); Peruvian Independence Day (July 28–29); and a commemoration of the Battle of Angamos, a naval battle in which Chile was victorious over Peru (October 8).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Peru is home to two of the most significant geographic features in the Western Hemisphere: the Andes Mountains and the Amazon River. The Andes mountain range, or the sierra, bisects the western coastal and desert-like region, or costa, from the eastern region, which is part of the Amazon River basin known as the selva.

The Amazon River originates in the Andes as a stream at Nevado Mismi, a fact that was finally confirmed in 2001 by researchers after years of speculation. From Nevado Mismi, the Amazon is formed by the Ucayali and the Maranon Rivers and then flows west roughly 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) to the Atlantic Ocean.

Along the coast is the Sechura Desert, where fifty-two rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean from the Amazon. Lago (or Lake) Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, sits on the Bolivian-Peruvian border in the southeast. The highest point in Peru is at Nevado Huascaran, which is 6,746 meters (22,132 feet) high, in the Cordillera Blanca. Other ranges in the Peruvian Andes include the Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Oriental, and Cordillera Central.

Natural Resources: The main natural resources of Peru include copper, silver, iron ore, gold, zinc, petroleum, timber (including cedar and mahogany), fish, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, and natural gas.

Areas of environmental concern include deforestation from logging in the tropical rainforests, overgrazing in the coastal and sierra regions, desertification and soil erosion, water and air pollution (particularly in urban and industrial centers, such as Lima), and overfishing.

Plants & Animals: Peru is a place of extraordinary biodiversity. The mountain regions of Peru include forests of mahogany, cedar, rubber, and cinchona trees, as well as sarsaparilla and vanilla plants. Mesquite, cactus, and eucalyptus plants are common in the desert region. Other trees include the strangler fig, cacao and brazilnut trees, the ayahuasca vine, cassava, and many other tropical plants.

Llamas, vicunas, and alpacas (historically important to Peruvians as domesticated animals) are common in mountainous regions. Peru is also home to more bird species than most other country in the world, including condors, macaws, hummingbirds, hoatzin (a mysterious and possibly prehistoric bird), and many others. Jaguars, howler monkeys, tapirs, sloths, agouti, and capybara are common Peruvian rainforest animals.

Climate: Peru has a diverse climate, containing many of the world's different climate types within its borders. Generally, the climate of Peru follows its regions: cold and dry in the high Andes region, arid from the western slopes of the Andes to its coast, and tropical in the Amazonian region. The mixture of the cold Humboldt Current and the warmer El Niño also affect its climate dramatically.

The rainy season lasts from October to March, bringing an annual rainfall of about 86 centimeters (34 inches), although some regions receive much more than that on average. In the eastern section of the Andes, rainfall can be as high as 406 centimeters (160 inches) per year.

The average temperature along the coastal plains is about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). The sierra region has a temperature range of –7 to 21 degrees Celsius (20 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). In Lima, the average annual temperature is around 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), while in Cusco, the average temperature is near 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit).

Economy

As a result of increased foreign and domestic investment in several sectors, Peru's economy came to be considered one of the best-managed and robust in South America in the early twenty-first century. The country enjoyed an average of 5.6 percent economic growth between 2009 and 2013, due in part to high international prices for Peru's metal and mineral exports. However, slower growth over the next few years demonstrated the Peruvian economy's vulnerability due to reliance on resource exports.

The GDP ( purchasing power parity) of Peru was estimated at $517.644 billion in 2023 and the GDP per capita was an estimated $15,100 that same year. Its nationwide unemployment rate was estimated at 4.82 percent in 2023.

Industry: Thanks to Peru's mineral resources, important industries in the country include nonferrous metals and nonmetallic mineral mining (including copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, and silver). Peru's petroleum resources and natural gas reserves also support industrial operations. Other industries include fishing (with anchovies being a significant part of the catch) and fish meal, textiles, and food and clothing manufacture. Peruvian exports include refined petroleum, metals, chemicals, and plastics.

Peru's major export partners include China, the United States, Canada, South Korea, and Switzerland.

Agriculture: The agricultural products in Peru are widely varied. They include vegetables, such as artichokes, asparagus, and potatoes; commodity crops such as coffee, cocoa, cotton, and sugarcane; grains (including quinoa); grapes; citrus fruits; tropical fruits such as avocados, pineapples, guavas, bananas, plantains, and mangoes; and tree fruits like apples and pears; among others. Coffee and fruits are valuable export crops. The coca plant is also widely grown for its traditional, medicinal uses. Since the plant is also used in the manufacture of cocaine, coca cultivation has come under closer scrutiny since the late twentieth century.

The most important livestock raised in Peru include chickens, cattle, pigs, and guinea pigs. Also important to Peruvian agriculture are the hides and wool of sheep, llamas, and vicunas, used to make clothing for export.

Tourism: Peru welcomes millions of international arrivals each year. Popular tourist destinations in Peru include the former capital city of the Incas, Cusco (also spelled Cuzco). Near Cusco is Machu Picchu, or the "lost city of the Incas," a remote site that was only discovered in 1911. Ecotourists may also visit sites in the Amazon basin region, high in the Andes, or travel to islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca. The Nazca Lines are famous giant petroglyphs in the Nazca Desert, best viewed from high above; they were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the early 1990s.

Government

Peru, a presidential republic, is divided into twenty-five regiones (regions) and one constitutional province (Lima). The government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

The president of Peru is its chief of state and head of the government; there are also two vice presidents. The president is elected to one five-year term and may seek reelection. The Council of Ministers and the prime minister are appointed by the president.

The unicameral legislative branch is comprised of the Congreso de la Republica, made up of 130 representatives who serve five-year terms. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court, members of which are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary.

In 2021,  Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones elected president in second round. President directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive terms). Election last held on 11 April 2021 with a runoff on 6 June 2021 (next to be held in April 2026).

Interesting Facts

• The Quechua language has given us the English words "condor," "guano," "gaucho," and "jerky."
• An earthquake in 1950 exposed ancient Inca ruins in the city of Cusco.
• The guinea pig, or cuy, is found not only on the Peruvian table, but in the country's art as well. Throughout Peru, depictions of the Last Supper show Christ and his disciples dining on this traditional dish.
• In 2015, the Wampis nation declared the formation of the first Indigenous autonomous territorial government in Peru.

Bibliography

"Economic Impact Reports." World Travel and Tourism Council, 2020, wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact. Accessed 2 Jun. 2022.

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 2022, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"Peru." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 2023-24, hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/PER. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"Peru." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/peru. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"Peru." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 21 Dec. 2024., www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/peru/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"Peru Country Profile." BBC News, 4 Sep. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19928905. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

“Peru (PER) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners.” OEC, Observatory of Economic Complexity, 2020, oec.world/en/profile/country/per. Accessed 2 Jun. 2020.

“2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Peru.” US Department of State, 2020, www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/peru. Accessed 2 Jun. 2022.‌