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NAVIGATION
Republic of Peru
Republica del Peru
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadores 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. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador |
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 S, 76 00 W |
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Map references:
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South America |
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Area:
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total: 1,285,220 sq km
water: 5,220 sq km land: 1.28 million sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Alaska |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 5,536 km
border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km |
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Coastline:
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2,414 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200 NM
territorial sea: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes |
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Terrain:
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western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m |
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Natural resources:
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copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.38% other: 96.77% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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11,950 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; remote Lake McIntyre is the ultimate source of the Amazon River |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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27,949,639 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 34% (male 4,820,892; female 4,671,205)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 8,598,328; female 8,492,830) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 627,601; female 738,783) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.66% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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23.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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38.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.59 years
female: 73.12 years (2002 est.) male: 68.18 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.89 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.35% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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48,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,100 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 90% |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.3% male: 94.5% female: 83% (1995 est.) |