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Peru
Relevant information about Peru.The Republic of Peru is located in South America and its capital city is Lima. Bordered by Colombia and Ecuador to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Peru is a representative democratic republic with a high Human Development Index score. The country is divided into 25 regions: Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes and Ucayali. Each region has an elected government. Peru was conquered, in the 16th century by the Spanish Empire, who established a Viceroyalty. It gained its independence in 1821 as a consequence of the military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. In the 1990s, the elections were won by Alberto Fujimori, who turned around the economy. However, the authoritarian measures that began to increase caused a rising dissatisfaction with his regime, and he left the conduction of the government in 2000. The current president is Alan García, who, in spite of experiencing a previous and disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, now has overseen a macroeconomic performance.
Peru has a population of 29,546,963 citizens, estimated in 2009, which makes it the fourth most populous country in South America. In the year 2007, 75.9% lived in urban areas and 24.1% in rural areas. Lima is the largest city: over 8 million Peruvians live in it. Other major cities are Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, Iquitos, Cuzco, Chimbote and Huancayo. The Republic of Peru has miscellaneous ethnic groups, mostly due to the different ones who inhabited Peruvian territory five centuries ago. Amerindians, who represent 45% of the population, have dwelled Peru for several millennia before the 16th century. Laws were enacted in order to protect indigenous people. However, they aren’t respected or implemented by the government and the companies that want to exploit the natural resources of their land. The second largest ethnic group is mestizos (mixed Amerindian and white) representing 37% of the country’s population. They are followed by white (15%), and black, Japanese and Chinese (3%). The total fertility rate stands in 2.37 children born per woman, estimated in 2009, and the death rate is of 6.14 deaths per 1,000 people. Life expectancy at birth is, in male of 68.88 years, and in female, 72.69 years. Peru’s religion is an inheritance of the Spanish Conquest: it is primarily a Roman Catholic country (81.3% of the population). According to the 2007 census, 12.5% of the population are Evangelical, and the percentage of atheists is very low, only 2.9%. Spanish is the first and official language of Peruvians citizens and it is spoken by 83.9% of the people in the country. Quechua, an indigenous language, is also considered to be the official next to Spanish: 13.2% of the population speaks it. Other native languages like Aymara are also spoken by a low number of Peruvians. The culture of Peru is one of the most diverse in South America. They have successfully preserved its culture heritage, which was formed by the combination of Hispanic, Amerindian and Inca cultures. Peruvian art is deeply tied with its history, as well as its music. Peruvian music is a mixture of styles and sounds and it has its roots in Andean and Spanish music. Cane, shells, horns, precious metal and mud were the primary materials from which locals made their instruments. Peruvian cuisine was influenced by American, European, Moorish and, to a lesser extent, Chinese and African gastronomic traditions. The main ingredients that are used to achieve a delicious combination of flavors are: maize, tomato, potatoes, ají, oca, ulluco, avocado, fruits (cherimoya, lúcuma, pineapple) and animals (taruca, llama and guinea pig, also know as cuy. Ceviche (fish marinated in citrus juice) is one of the typical dishes, along with the chupe de camarones (it is soup made of shrimps), anticuchos (cow’s heart roasted in brochette), the olluco with charqui (a casserole), the Andean pachamanca, the lomo saltado and the picante de cuy, which can be accompanied by chichi morada (chichas made of purple corn or peanut). Popular celebrations and festivities take place in Peru every year: there are approximately 3,000 festivities annually, mostly related to the Christian religion. Celebrations include music, dances, meals and typical drinks. The Marinera is one of the most popular dances in Peru and most fascinating to watch. Regarding literature, Ricardo Palma was the expression of Costumbrism and Romanticism. José María Arquedas, Ciro Alegría and César Vallejo are excellent writers of the “Indigenismo” movement of the first half of the 20th century. Mario Vargas Llosa transformed Peruvian literature in the second half of the century, making it widely known.
Peru’s economy is an emerging market, and it has had a significant growth in the last 15 years. The percentage of population below the poverty line is of 44.5%: 12.6% is extremely poor. Its economy depends mainly on exports, which covers mostly of the external debt payments and the finance of imports. Peru has signed trade deals with the United States, Canada, Singapore and China since the year 2006, and has been negotiating with the European Union. The agricultural products are mainly: asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, corn, grapes, potatoes, plantains, pineapples, oranges, apples, bananas, guavas, coca, pears, mango, tomatoes, lemons, medicinal plants, barley, marigold, palm oil, dry beans, onions, wheat; beef, dairy products, guinea pigs, poultry and fish. The Peruvian industrial sector consists of mining and refining minerals, steel, metal fabrication, natural gas, clothing, petroleum extraction and refining, food processing, textiles and fishing and fish processing. The unemployment rate is of 9%, estimated in 2009, and the labor force by occupation is: in agriculture 0.7%, in industry 23.8% and in services 75.5%.
Tourism is the third largest industry of Peru, preceded by fishing and mining and is the most rapidly growing industry. In Peru you can appreciate archeological monuments, the Peruvian Amazon and colonial cities. Visitors come from all around the globe: United States, Chile, Argentina, France, Brazil, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Canada. The city of Lima (and its historic centre) is one of the most visited areas of Peru, along with Cuzco, which was declared a World Cultural Heritage in 1983, and its main attractions are the Sacred Valley of the Incas, its colonial architecture and the ruins of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is internationally recognized and the most visited by tourists. They were included in UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage in 1983. Lima’s historical centre, is not only an astonishing city where you can visit numerous museums: the National Museum, National Museum of Peruvian Culture, the National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology and History, and Rafael Larco Herrera Archeological Museum, but also, a center of adventure: in Lunahuana, you have the possibility to experience white water rafting. There are two excellent national parks, both of which were declared a World Cultural Heritage: the Manu National Park and the Huascaran National Park. The first one is the home for more than 1,000 different species of birds, 1,200 types of butterflies, approximately 20,000 kinds of plants and numerous reptiles, insects and amphibians. The second National Park you are able to see the beautiful lakes which contrast with the snow of the highest mountains: more than 600 glaciers, about 300 lakes and 27 snow-capped peaks. There are held over 3,000 festivals a year in Peru: the majority are celebrated in honor to a saint and belong to the Christian calendar. Festivals are a wonderful mixture of sounds, textures and colors, honoring the Pachamama, the Earth goddess.
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