Peru

Did you know?

Peruvian territory was home to several cultures during the ancient and medieval periods, and has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country, tracing its heritage back to the 10th millennium BCE Caral–Supe civilization, the earliest civilization in the Americas and considered one of the cradles of civilization. Notable succeeding cultures and civilizations include the Nazca culture, the Moche, Wari and Tiwanaku empires, the Kingdom of Cusco, and the Inca Empire, the largest known state in the pre-Columbian Americas.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology

The name of the country may be derived from Birú, the name of a local ruler who lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama City, in the early 16th century. Spanish conquistadors, who arrived in 1522, believed this was the southernmost part of the New World. When Francisco Pizarro invaded the regions farther south, they came to be designated Birú or Perú.

An alternative history is provided by the contemporary writer Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, son of an Inca princess and a conquistador.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

History

The earliest evidences of human presence in Peruvian territory have been dated to approximately 12,500 BCE in the Huaca Prieta settlement. Andean societies were based on agriculture, using techniques such as irrigation and terracing; camelid husbandry and fishing were also important. Organization relied on reciprocity and redistribution because these societies had no notion of market or money. The oldest known complex society in Peru, the Caral-Supe civilization, flourished along the coast of the Pacific Ocean between 3,000 and 1,800 BCE.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Geography

Peru is located on the central western coast of South America facing the Pacific Ocean. It lies wholly in the Southern Hemisphere, its northernmost extreme reaching to 1.8 minutes of latitude or about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) south of the equator, covers 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi) of western South America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Andes run parallel to the Pacific Ocean; they define the three regions traditionally used to describe the country geographically.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Government and politics

Peru is a unitary semi-presidential republic with a multi-party system. The country has maintained a liberal democratic system under its 1993 constitution, which replaced a constitution that leaned the government to a federation to authorize more power to the president. It is also a unitary republic, in which the central government holds the most power and can create administrative divisions.

The Peruvian government is separated into three branches:

Legislature: the bicameral Congress of Peru, consisting of a 130 member Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and a 60 member Senate (upper house);

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Economy

Peru's economy is the 46th largest in the world (ranked by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)). The World Bank classifies its income level as upper middle. Peru was, as of 2011, one of the world's fastest-growing economies owing to an economic boom experienced since the 2000s. However, by 2026, following the conclusion of the commodity boom in 2014, Peru experienced a substantial deceleration in its per capita GDP growth. It has an above-average Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.794 (as of 2023), which has been steadily improving over the years.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Demographics

With a population of 33,396,698 inhabitants according to estimates and projections of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics until the year 2022, Peru is the fourth most populous country in South America. Its population density is 25.79 inhabitants per square kilometre (66.8/sq mi) and its annual growth rate is 1.1%. 58.8% of the Peruvian population lives on the coast, 27% in the mountains, and 14.2% in the jungle. In 2020, 27 million Peruvians lived in urban areas, which represents 80% of the population.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0

Culture

Peruvian culture is primarily rooted in Iberian and Andean traditions, though it has also been influenced by various European, Asian, and African ethnic groups. Peruvian artistic traditions date back to the elaborate pottery, textiles, jewelry, and sculpture of Pre-Inca cultures. The Incas maintained these crafts and made architectural achievements including the construction of Machu Picchu. Baroque dominated colonial art, though modified by Native traditions.

Wikipedia: Peru – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0