- For an alphabetical index of this subject, see the List of Peru-related topics.
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing.
Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a medium Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 40%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles.
The Peruvian population, estimated at 28 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.
The following topic outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Peru:
General reference
Geography
- Main article: Geography of Peru
- Peru is: a country
- Location:
- Population of Peru: 28,750,770 (June 30, 2007) - 40th most populous country
- Area of Peru: Template:Unit sqkm - 20th largest country
- Atlas of Peru
Environment
Natural geographic features
- Main article: Landforms of Peru
- Fjords of Peru
- Glaciers of Peru
- Islands of Peru
- Lakes of Peru
- Mountains of Peru
- Rivers of Peru
- Valleys of Peru
- World Heritage Sites in Peru
Regions
Ecoregions
- Main article: Ecoregions in Peru
Administrative divisions
- Main article: Administrative divisions of Peru
Regions
Peru is divided into 25 regions and the province of Lima.
Provinces
Districts
Municipalities
- Capital of Peru: Lima
- Cities of Peru
Demography
- Main article: Demographics of Peru
Neighbours
Peru is bordered by:
Government and politics
- Main article: Government of Peru and Politics of Peru
- Form of government: Presidential republic
- Capital of Peru: Lima
- Elections in Peru
- Foreign relations of Peru
- Human rights in Peru
- Political parties in Peru
- Political scandals of Peru
- Taxation in Peru
Branches of government
Executive branch
- Head of state: President of Peru, Alan García
- Head of government: Prime Minister of Peru, Yehude Simon
- Cabinet of Peru
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
Foreign relations
International organization membership
- Main article: International organization membership of Peru
Peru is a member of:
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Law and order
- Main article: Law of Peru
- Capital punishment in Peru
- Constitution of Peru
- Crime in Peru
- Human rights in Peru
- Law enforcement in Peru
Military
- Main article: Military of Peru
- Command
- Forces
- Military history of Peru
- Military ranks of Peru
Local government
History
- Main article: History of Peru, Timeline of the history of Peru, and Current events of Peru
Culture
- Main article: Culture of Peru
- Architecture of Peru
- Cuisine of Peru
- Ethnic minorities in Peru
- Festivals in Peru
- Humor in Peru
- Languages of Peru
- Media in Peru
- National symbols of Peru
- People of Peru
- Prostitution in Peru
- Public holidays in Peru
- Records of Peru
- Religion in Peru
- World Heritage Sites in Peru
Arts
Sports
- Main article: Sports in Peru
Economy
- Main article: Economy of Peru
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 54th (fifty-fourth)
- Agriculture in Peru
- Banking in Peru
- Communications in Peru
- Companies of Peru
- Currency of Peru:
- Economic history of Peru
- Energy policy of Peru
- Mining in Peru
- Oil industry in Peru
- Tourism in Peru
- Transport in Peru
Education
- Main article: Education in Peru
Infrastructure
- Communications in Peru
- Energy in Peru
- Health care in Peru
- Transportation in Peru
- Water supply and sanitation in Peru
See also
- All pages with titles beginning with Peru
- All pages with titles containing Peru
- List of international rankings
- List of Peru-related topics
- Lists of country-related topics
- Topic outline of geography
- Topic outline of South America
- United Nations
References
External links
- Government
- Template:Es icon Web portal of the Peruvian Government
- Template:Es icon Directory of Peruvian Government websites
- General reference
- BBC country profile of Peru
- "Peru". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- Encyclopædia Britannica entry on Peru
- Peru web directory
- Other