Peru

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Peru's Information


Capital	Lima
Languages	Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other (includes foreign languages and sign language) 0.2% (2007 est.)
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%, none 2.9% (2007 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Area	1,285,216.00 km²
Water Area	5,220.00 km²
Land Area	1,279,996.00 km²
Population	30,741,062.00 Approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated
Location	Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
No. Bordering Countries	5
Bordering Countries	Bolivia 1,212 km, Brazil 2,659 km, Chile 168 km, Colombia 1,494 km, Ecuador 1,529 km
GDP(PPP)	$410,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$13,000.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, the United States, and Switzerland.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are copper, gold, lead, zinc, and tin.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Brazil.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, and plastics.
Climate	Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain	Western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Where is Peru?

Located in Western South America, Peru has a 7,062.00 km border with Bolivia (1,212 km), Brazil (2,659 km), Chile (168 km), Colombia (1,494 km) and Ecuador (1,529 km). It has a 2,414.00 km coastline. Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries.

Peru is a South American country covering 1,285,216.00 km² of which 0.41% is water and 1,279,996.00 km² is land. This makes it the 19th largest country in the world and almost twice the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska. Its geographic coordinates are 10 00 S, 76 00 W and Lima is the capital city.

The name Peru comes from a native word "biru", meaning "river".

Its ISO code is PE.

Geography

Peru has a mean elevation of 1,555 m above sea level.

It has a tropical marine climate with a northeast monsoon from November to April and a southwest monsoon from May to October. Its terrain is sometimes rugged, and also made up of plains and jungle.

Population

Peru has a population of 30,741,062 making it the 43rd largest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives along the desert coastal belt in the west.

Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara are all official languages. The major ethnic groups reported are Amerindian, mestizo, and white. The majority of the population identifies as Roman Catholic.

The dialing code for the country is 51.

Government

Peru is an independent country. It gained independence from Spain in 1821. Its constitution was last ratified in 1993.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Peru's GDP is $410,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $13,000.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 47th largest economy and its citizens the 117th richest in the world. The currency of Peru is the Sol (PEN).

Its major export partners are China, the United States, and Switzerland. Its main exports are copper, gold, lead, zinc, and tin. Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Brazil. Its major imports include petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, and plastics.

This page was last modified on January 17th, 2018