Republic of Peru

National name: República del Perú

President: Alan García (2006)

Prime Minister: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2005)

Land area: 494,208 sq mi (1,279,999 sq km); total area: 496,226 sq mi (1,285,220 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 28,302,603 (growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 20.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 30.9/1000; life expectancy: 69.8; density per sq mi: 57

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Lima, 8,180,000 (metro. area), 7,029,928 (city proper)

Other large cities: Arequipa, 837,300; Trujillo, 725,200; Chiclayo, 598,400

Monetary unit: Nuevo sol (1991)

Languages: Spanish, Quéchua (both official); Aymara; many minor Amazonian languages

Ethnicity/race: Amerindian 45%, mestizo 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Religion: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Christian 1%, unspecified or none 16% (2003 est.)

Literacy rate: 91% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $169.5 billion; per capita $6,100. Real growth rate: 5.8%. Inflation: 1.6%. Unemployment: 8.7% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment. Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish. Labor force: 9.06 million; agriculture 9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001). Industries: mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing. Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas. Exports: $15.95 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee. Imports: $12.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper. Major trading partners: U.S., China, UK, Chile, Japan, Spain, Brazil, Colombia (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.8 million (2000); mobile cellular: 504,995 (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999). Radios: 6.65 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 3.06 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (2000). Internet users: 3 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 1,829 km (2002). Highways: total: 72,900 km; paved: 9,331 km; unpaved: 63,569 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca. Ports and harbors: Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries. Airports: 233 (2002).

International disputes: Bolivia continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884.


 

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