Peru

Because of you…

Young people are being ministered to in several bible clubs and an AIDS prevention program in many schools in the Lima area. Counselling and cooperation with health centres provide medical care for students with AIDS, as well as training parents to support youth in AIDS prevention.

Watch the video below for an overview of the history and ministry of Youth for Christ in Peru (en español)

Prayer Needs

Youth leadership training curriculum.
Adequate equipment for ministry, such as video camera to produce videos for presentations in schools.
Continued growth of a committed volunteer team.

About Peru

Introduction

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces 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, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of Native American ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, has overseen a robust macroeconomic performance.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic Coordinates: 10 00 S, 76 00 W

Area

Total Area: 1,285,216 sq km Rank: 20

Land Area: 1,279,996 sq km

Water Area: 5,220 sq km

Comparison: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land Boundaries: 7,461 km

Bordering Countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,414 km

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Elevations

Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Highest Point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

Natural Resources

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

Land Use

Arable land: 2.88%

Permanent Crops: 0.47%

Other: 96.65% (2005)

Irrigated Land: 12,000 sq km (2003)

Renewable Water Resources: 1,913 cu km (2000)

Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 20.13 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%)

Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 720 cu m/yr (2000)

Environment

Natural Hazards: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity

Environmental Issues: deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); 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

Environmental Agreements: Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography Notes

shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

People

Population: 29,546,963 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 39

Age Structure

0-14 years: 29.1% (male 4,370,923/female 4,216,364)

15-64 years: 65.2% (male 9,695,270/female 9,574,018)

65 years and over: 5.7% (male 796,631/female 893,757) (2010 est.)

Median Age: 26.1 years

Population Growth

Growth Rate: 1.229% (2010 est.) Rank: 107

Birth Rate: 19.38 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 107

Death Rate: 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 156

Net Migration Rate: -0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 115

Urbanization

Urban Population: 71% of total population (2008)

Rate of Urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Life and Death

Infant Mortality Rate: 28.62 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 78

Life Expectancy at Birth: 70.74 years Rank: 138

Fertility Rate: 2.32 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 105

Health and Disease

HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 0.5% (2007 est.) Rank: 78

People living with HIV/AIDS: 76,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 53

HIV/AIDS Deaths: 3,300 (2007 est.) Rank: 55

Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever

Water Contact Diseases: leptospirosis (2009)

Nationality and Culture

Noun: Peruvian(s)

Adjective: Peruvian

Ethnic Groups: Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Religion: Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified or none 2.9% (2007 Census)

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages

Education

Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 92.9% Male: 96.4% Female: 89.4% (2007 Census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 14 years Male: 14 years Female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2006) Rank: 157

Government

Country Name

Conventional Long Form: Republic of Peru

Conventional Short Form: Peru

Local Long Form: Republica del Peru

Local Short Form: Peru

Government Type: constitutional republic

Capital: Lima Geographic Coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W

Administrative divisions

25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Constitution: 29 December 1993

Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

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

Executive Branch

Chief of State: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas (since 28 July 2006); Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Head of Government: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas (since 28 July 2006); Second Vice President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)

note: Prime Minister Javier VELASQUEZ Quesquen (since 12 July 2009) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive reelection); presidential and congressional elections last held on 9 April 2006 with runoff election held on 4 June 2006; next to be held in April 2011

Election Results: Alan GARCIA Perez elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alan GARCIA Perez 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%

Legislative Branch

unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Elections: last held on 9 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2011)

Election Results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%, UN 15.3%, AF 13.1%, FC 7.1%, PP 4.1%, RN 4.0%, other 14.6%; seats by party - UPP 45, PAP 36, UN 17, AF 13, FC 5, PP 2, RN 2

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)

Politics

Political Parties and Leaders: Alliance For Progress (Alianza Para El Progreso) [Cesar ACUNA Peralta]; Alliance For The Future (Alianza Por El Futuro) or AF (a coalition of pro-FUJIMORI parties including Cambio 90, Nueva Mayoria, and Si Cumple); Central Front (Frente Del Centro) or FC (a coalition of Accion Popular, Somos Peru, and Coordinadora Nacional de Independientes) [Victor Andres GARCIA Belaunde]; National Renovation Party (Partido Renovacion Nacional) [Rafael REY]; National Restoration Party (Restauracion Nacional) or RN [Humberto LAY Sun]; National Solidarity Party (Partido Solidaridad Nacional) or SN [Luis CASTANEDA Lossio]; Peru Possible (Peru Posible) or PP [Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique]; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan GARCIA Perez] (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA); Peruvian Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Peruano) or PNP [Ollanta HUMALA Tasso]; Popular Christian Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) or PPC [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Union for Peru (Union por el Peru) or UPP [Aldo ESTRADA Choque]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: General Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN]; Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or SL [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Victor QUISPE Palomino (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group)

International Organization Participation: APEC, CAN, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace

Economy

Economy Overview: Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. The Peruvian economy grew by more than 4% per year during the period 2002-06, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Growth jumped to 9% per year in 2007 and 2008, driven by higher world prices for minerals and metals and the government's aggressive trade liberalization strategies, but then fell to less than 1% in 2009 in the face of the world recession and lower commodity export prices. Peru's rapid expansion has helped to reduce the national poverty rate by about 15% since 2002, though underemployment remain high; inflation has trended downward in 2009, to below the Central Bank's 1-3% target. Despite Peru's strong macroeconomic performance, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and poor infrastructure precludes the spread of growth to Peru's non-coastal areas. Not all Peruvians therefore have shared in the benefits of growth. President GARCIA's pursuit of sound trade and macroeconomic policies has cost him political support since his election. Nevertheless, he remains committed to Peru's free-trade path. Since 2006, Peru has signed trade deals with the United States, Canada, Singapore, and China, concluded negotiations with the European Union, and begun trade talks with Korea, Japan, and others. The US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) entered into force 1 February 2009, opening the way to greater trade and investment between the two economies.

Gross Domestic Product

GDP (purchasing power parity): $251.4 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 45

GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2009 est.) Rank: 102

GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,500 (2009 est.) Rank: 114

GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 8.2% Industry: 32.1% Services: 59.7% (2009 est.)

Labor Force

Labor Force: 10.32 million (2009 est.) Rank: 48

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 0.7% Industry: 23.8% Services: 75.5% (2005)

Unemployment Rate: 8.1% (2009 est.) Rank: 8.1% (2008 est.)

Note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment

Poverty

Population below poverty line: 44.5% (2006)

country comparison to the world: 65

$1.694 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Roadways:

total: 102,887 km

country comparison to the world: 42

note: includes 23,838 km of national roads, 19,049 km of departmental roads, and 60,000 km of local roads (2007)

Transnational Issues

International Disputes: Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries along the parallels of latitude to equidistance lines which favor Peru; organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru rejects Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian border

Stories from Peru

Breaking News from Peru