The Facts

Republic of Peru

National name: República del Perú

President: Alan García (2006)

Prime Minister: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2005)

Current government officials

Land area: 494,208 sq mi (1,279,999 sq km); total area:496,223 sq mi (1,285,220 sq km)

Population (2007 est.): 28,674,757 (growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 20.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 30.0/1000; life expectancy: 70.1; density per sq mi: 58

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: 87.7% (2004 est.)

Economic summary: 

GDP/PPP(2007 est.): $219 billion; per capita $7,800. 

Real growth rate: 9%.

Inflation: 1.8%. 

Unemployment:6.9% 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: 9.419 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: $27.14 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee.

Imports: $18.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper. 

Major trading partners:U.S., China, Switzerland, Canada, Chile, Japan, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Mexico (2006).

Communications:

Telephones:main lines in use: 2.332 million (2006); mobile cellular: 8.5 million (2006). 

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):270,193 (2007). 

Internet users: 6.1 million (2006).

Transportation:

Railways: total: 1,989 km (2002). 

Highways: total: 78,829 km; paved: 11,351 km (includes 276 km of expressways); unpaved: 67,478 km (2004 est.).

Waterways: 8,808 km, 8,808 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: 237 (2007).

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

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