Peruvian Independence Day

Peruvian Independence Day

Peru is a large country in the northwestern region of South America. It has nearly 30 million inhabitants and its capital and largest city is Lima, with a population of over 6 million people. On July 28 of every year the nation celebrates Independence Day, which honors the Peruvian declaration of independence, signed on July 28, 1821.

Peru was once home to the Incas, one of the most advanced American Indian civilizations, but it was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century after Europeans began to invade the New World. After centuries of Spanish oppression, the population of Peru (consisting mostly of mixed Spanish and native ancestry) began to demand more freedoms. As part of the greater struggle for South American independence, revolutionary leaders such as José de San Martín from Argentina and Simón Bolívar from Venezuela brought their armies into the country and forced the Spanish to leave. Although the Peruvians declared independence in 1821, it took several years of combat by these generals to secure Peru's victory. By the mid-1820s, their triumph was complete.