Country Guide

Peru Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Geography

Location:
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador


Geographic coordinates:
10 00 S, 76 00 W


Map references:
South America


Area:
total:1,285,216 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 20
land:1,279,996 sq km
water:5,220 sq km


Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alaska


Land boundaries:
total:7,461 km
border countries:Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km


Coastline:
2,414 km


Maritime claims:
territorial sea:200 nm
continental shelf:200 nm


Climate:
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes


Terrain:
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)


Elevation extremes:
lowest point:Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m


    Natural resources:
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas


Land use:
arable land:2.84%
permanent crops:0.66%
other:96.5% (2011)


Irrigated land:
11,960 sq km (2003)


Total renewable water resources:
1,913 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
1,913 cu km (2011)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity


Environment - current issues:
deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes


Environment - international agreements:
party to:Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements


Geography - note:
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective:Peruvian


Ethnic groups:
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%


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.)


Religions:
Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, none 2.9% (2007 est.)


Demographic profile:
Peru's urban and coastal communities have benefited much more from recent economic growth than rural, Afro-Peruvian, indigenous, and poor populations of the Amazon and mountain regions. The poverty rate has dropped substantially during the last decade but remains stubbornly high at about 30% (more than 55% in rural areas). After remaining almost static for about a decade, Peru's malnutrition rate began falling in 2005, when the government introduced a coordinated strategy focusing on hygiene, sanitation, and clean water. School enrollment has improved, but achievement scores reflect ongoing problems with educational quality. Many poor children temporarily or permanently drop out of school to help support their families. About a quarter to a third of Peruvian children aged 6 to 14 work, often putting in long hours at hazardous mining or construction sites.


Population:
30,147,935 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 43


Age structure:
0-14 years:27.3% (male 4,184,330/female 4,040,096)
15-24 years:19.2% (male 2,894,168/female 2,889,409)
25-54 years:39.4% (male 5,715,542/female 6,161,540)
55-64 years:7.3% (male 1,071,688/female 1,125,100)
65 years and over:6.7% (male 979,854/female 1,086,208) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:53.7 %
youth dependency ratio:43.6 %
elderly dependency ratio:10 %
potential support ratio:10 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:27 years
male:26.3 years
female:27.7 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
0.99% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 120


Birth rate:
18.57 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 99


Death rate:
5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 165


Net migration rate:
-2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 175


Urbanization:
urban population:77.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:1.55% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
LIMA (capital) 9.13 million; Arequipa 804,000 (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1 male(s)/female
25-54 years:0.93 male(s)/female
55-64 years:0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.9 male(s)/female
total population:0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


Mother's mean age at first birth:
22.2


Maternal mortality rate:
67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


    Infant mortality rate:
total:20.21 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 90
male:22.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female:17.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


Life expectancy at birth:
total population:73.23 yearscountry comparison to the world: 127
male:71.23 years
female:75.33 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 101


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
68.9% (2011)


Health expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2011)


Physicians density:
0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2009)


Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 91.2% of population
rural: 71.6% of population
total: 86.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 8.8% of population
rural: 28.4% of population
total: 13.2% of population (2012 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 81.2% of population
rural: 44.8% of population
total: 73.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 18.8% of population
rural: 55.2% of population
total: 26.9% of population (2012 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 79


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
75,500 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 51


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 45


Major infectious diseases:


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
15.7% (2008)country comparison to the world: 117


Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
4.5% (2008)country comparison to the world: 93


Education expenditures:
2.8% of GDP (2012)country comparison to the world: 145

Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:89.6%
male:94.9%
female:84.6% (2007 est.)


School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:13 years
male:13 years
female:13 years (2010)


Child labor - children ages 5-14:



Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:9.5%country comparison to the world: 111
male:9.4%
female:9.7% (2011)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Peru
conventional short form:Peru
local long form:Republica del Peru
local short form:Peru


Government type:
constitutional republic


Capital:
name:Lima
geographic coordinates:12 03 S, 77 03 W
time difference:UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


Administrative divisions:
25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali


Independence:
28 July 1821 (from Spain)


National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 July (1821)


Constitution:
several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)


Legal system:
civil law system


International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70


Executive branch:
chief of state:President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government:President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant)
note:Prime Minister Rene CORNEJO (since 24 February 2014) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president
cabinet:Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive reelection); presidential election last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election held on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)
election results:Ollanta HUMALA Tasso elected president; percent of vote - Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 51.5%, Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi 48.5%


Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (130 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)
election results:percent of vote by party - Gana Peru 25.3%, Fuerza 2011 23%, PP 14.8%, Alliance for Great Change 14.4%, National Solidarity 10.2%, Peruvian Aprista Party 6.4%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Gana Peru 47, Fuerza 2011 37, PP 21, Alliance for Great Change 12, National Solidarity 9, Peruvian Aprista Party 4; note - as of 10 March 2014, the composition of the legislature is as follows: seats by bloc party - Gana Peru 43, Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) 36, PP 10, Accion Popular-Frente Amplio 10, National Solidarity 9, Union Regional 8, Partido Popular Cristiano-Alianza Para el Progreso 7, Concertacion Parlamentaria 6, Independent 1; note - defections by members of the National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in the formation of new blocs and frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various blocs


Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors)
judge selection and term of office:justices proposed by the National Council of the Judiciary or National Judicial Council (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress (all appointments reviewed by the Council every 7 years; justices appointed for life or until age 70
subordinate courts:Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; two types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside


    Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APP [Cesar ACUNA Peralta]
Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) [Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi]
National Solidarity (Solidaridad Nacional) or SN [Luis CASTANEDA Lossio]
Peru Posible or PP (a coalition of Accion Popular and Somos Peru) [Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique]
Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan GARCIA Perez] (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA)
Peruvian Nationalist Party [Nadine HEREDIA Alarcon]
Popular Christian Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) or PPC [Lourdes FLORES Nano]
Wide Front (Frente Amplio), a coalition of left-of-center parties including Tierra y Libertad [Marco ARANA Zegarra], Ciudadanos por el Gran Cambio [Salomon LERNER Ghitis], and Fuerza Social [Susana VILLARAN de la Puente]


Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN]


International organization participation:
APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO


Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Harold Winston FORSYTH Mejia (since 29 August 2011)
chancery:1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:[1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX:[1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general:Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco


Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael J. Fitzpatrick (since 20 September 2013)
embassy:Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33
mailing address:P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000
telephone:[51] (1) 618-2000
FAX:[51] (1) 618-2397


Flag description:
three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace


National symbol(s):
vicuna (a camelid related to the llama)


National anthem:
name:'Himno Nacional del Peru' (National Anthem of Peru)

lyrics/music:Jose DE LA TORRE Ugarte/Jose Bernardo ALZEDO
note:adopted 1822; the song won a national contest for an anthem

Economy

Economy - overview:
Peru's economy reflects its varied topography - an arid lowland coastal region, the central high sierra of the Andes, the dense forest of the Amazon, with tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. A wide range of important mineral resources are found in the mountainous and coastal areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. Peru is the world's second largest producer of silver and third largest producer of copper. The Peruvian economy has been growing by an average of 5.6% for the past five years with a stable exchange rate and low inflation, which in 2013 was just below the upper limit of the Central Bank target range of 1 to 3%. For the last three years, this growth was due partly to high international prices for Peru's metals and minerals exports, which account for almost 60% of the country's total exports. Despite Peru's strong macroeconomic performance, dependence on minerals and metals exports and imported foodstuffs makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Peru's rapid expansion coupled with cash transfers and other programs have helped to reduce the national poverty rate by 28 percentage points since 2002, but inequality persists and continues to pose a challenge for the Ollanta HUMALA administration, which has championed a policy of social inclusion and a more equitable distribution of income. Poor infrastructure hinders the spread of growth to Peru's non-coastal areas. Peru's free trade policy has continued under the HUMALA administration; since 2006, Peru has signed trade deals with the US, Canada, Singapore, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, the EU, the European Free Trade Association, Chile, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, concluded negotiations with Guatemala, and begun trade talks with Honduras and El Salvador, Turkey and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Peru also has signed a trade pact with Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, called the Pacific Alliance, that rivals Mercosur. Since the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force in February 2009, total trade between Peru and the United States has doubled. Although Peru has continued to attract foreign investment, political activism and protests are hampering development of some projects related to natural resource extraction.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$344 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
$327.3 billion (2012 est.)
$308 billion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


GDP (official exchange rate):
$210.3 billion (2013 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
6.3% (2012 est.)
6.9% (2011 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,100 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
$10,700 (2012 est.)
$10,300 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


Gross national saving:
22.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
23.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
23.4% of GDP (2011 est.)


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:62.4%
government consumption:10.8%
investment in fixed capital:27%
investment in inventories:0.1%
exports of goods and services:24.4%
imports of goods and services:-24.7%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:6.2%
industry:37.5%
services:56.3% (2013 est.)


Agriculture - products:
asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans; poultry, beef, pork, dairy products; guinea pigs; fish


Industries:
mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture


Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

Labor force:
16.16 million
country comparison to the world: 38
note:individuals older than 14 years of age (2012 est.)



Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:25.8%
industry:17.4%
services:56.8% (2011)


Unemployment rate:
3.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
3.9% (2011 est.)
note:data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment


Population below poverty line:
25.8% (2012 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:1.4%
highest 10%:36.1% (2010 est.)


    Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 25
51 (2005)


Budget:
revenues:$60.95 billion
expenditures:$58.91 billion (2013 est.)


Taxes and other revenues:
29% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
1% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29


Public debt:
14.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
note:data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities


Fiscal year:
calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
3.4% (2011 est.)
note:data are for metropolitan Lima, annual average


Central bank discount rate:
5.05% (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 68
5.05% (31 December 2011)


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.3% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
19.23% (31 December 2012 est.)
note:domestic currency lending rate, 90 day maturity


Stock of narrow money:
$32.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$32.61 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of broad money:
$80.91 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$77.62 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of domestic credit:
$37.96 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$36.76 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2012)


Current account balance:
-$10.31 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
-$7.137 billion (2012 est.)


Exports:
$41.48 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$45.64 billion (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities:
copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas; coffee, asparagus and other vegetables, fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, fish, chemicals, fabricated metal products and machinery, alloys


Exports - partners:
China 19.9%, US 15.7%, Canada 9.5%, Japan 6.6%, Spain 5.2%, Chile 4.9% (2012)


Imports:
$42.13 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$41.11 billion (2012 est.)


Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, machinery, vehicles, color TV sets, power shovels, front-end loaders, telephones and telecommunication equipment, iron and steel, wheat, corn, soybean products, paper, cotton, vaccines and medicines


Imports - partners:
US 24.6%, China 14%, Brazil 6.4%, Argentina 5%, Chile 4.8%, Colombia 4.2%, Ecuador 4.1%, Mexico 4% (2012)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$65.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$64.17 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Debt - external:
$50.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
$50.47 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
note:public debt component of total: $20.6 billion (31 December 2009)


Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$76.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
$63.51 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$3.165 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$3.041 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Exchange rates:
nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar -
2.699 (2013 est.)
2.6376 (2012 est.)
2.8251 (2010 est.)
3.0115 (2009)
2.91 (2008)

Energy

Electricity - production:
38.4 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60


Electricity - consumption:
34.25 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58


Electricity - exports:
112 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75


Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
8.613 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
60.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
39.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111


Crude oil - production:
160,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43


Crude oil - exports:
15,610 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57


Crude oil - imports:
99,590 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
579.2 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49


Refined petroleum products - production:
159,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
206,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56


Refined petroleum products - exports:
82,080 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48


Refined petroleum products - imports:
43,480 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75


Natural gas - production:
32.4 billion cu m (2012)
country comparison to the world: 28


Natural gas - consumption:
5.49 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59


Natural gas - exports:
8.73 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29


Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2012)
country comparison to the world: 114


Natural gas - proved reserves:
359.6 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
37.71 million Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
3.42 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 45


Telephones - mobile cellular:
29.4 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 36


Telephone system:
general assessment:adequate for most requirements; nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
domestic:fixed-line teledensity is only about 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by competition among multiple providers, exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons
international:country code - 51; the South America-1 (SAM-1) and Pan American (PAN-AM) submarine cable systems provide links to parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)



    Broadcast media:
10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state-owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 2,000 radio stations including a substantial number of indigenous language stations (2010)


Internet country code:
.pe


Internet hosts:
234,102 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 70


Internet users:
9.158 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 31

Transportation

Airports
191 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 30


Airports - with paved runways
total:59
over 3,047 m:5
2,438 to 3,047 m:21
1,524 to 2,437 m:16
914 to 1,523 m:12
under 914 m:5 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:132
2,438 to 3,047 m:1
1,524 to 2,437 m:19
914 to 1,523 m:30
under 914 m:
82 (2013)


Heliports
5 (2013)


Pipelines
extra heavy crude 786 km; gas 1,526 km; liquid petroleum gas 679 km; oil 1,033 km; refined products 15 km (2013)


Railways
total:1,907 kmcountry comparison to the world: 74
standard gauge:1,772 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:135 km 0.914-m gauge (2012)


    Roadways
total:140,672 km (of which 18,698 km are paved)country comparison to the world: 35
note:includes 24,593 km of national roads (of which 14,748 km are paved), 24,235 km of departmental roads (2,340 km paved), and 91,844 km of local roads (1,611 km paved) (2012)


Waterways
8,808 km (there are 8,600 km of navigable tributaries on the Amazon system and 208 km on Lago Titicaca) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 14


Merchant marine
total:22country comparison to the world: 92
by type:cargo 2, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 13
foreign-owned:8 (Chile 6, Ecuador 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries:9 (Panama 9) (2010)



Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Callao, Matarani, Paita
river port(s):Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas (Amazon)
oil terminals:Conchan oil terminal, La Pampilla oil terminal
container port(s) (TEUs):Callao (1,616,365)

Military

Military branches
Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP; includes naval air, naval infantry, and Coast Guard), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP) (2013)


Military service age and obligation
18-50 years of age for male and 18-45 years of age for female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)


Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49:7,385,588
females age 16-49:7,727,623 (2010 est.)


Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49:5,788,629
females age 16-49:6,565,097 (2010 est.)


    Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:304,094
female:298,447 (2010 est.)


Military expenditures
1.28% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 81
1.15% of GDP (2011)
1.28% of GDP (2010)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international
Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries along the parallels of latitude to equidistance lines which favor Peru; organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru rejects Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian border


Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs:150,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2013 est.)


    Illicit drugs
until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's second largest producer of coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; cultivation of coca in Peru was estimated at 40,000 hectares in 2009, a slight decrease over 2008; second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 225 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2009; finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa; increasing domestic drug consumption
 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook