Ethnic composition Peru's population is defined by different sources in different ways. According to the 1940 census, 45.86% of the total population - 2,847,196 out of 6,207,967 people - were Quechua and Aymara Indians. If we add to this number the approximate figure of the number of Indians of the other tribes of the eastern forest regions, the so-called forest Indians (about 350 thousand), then in the population of Peru in 1940, Indians accounted for almost half. In this census, all the so-called whites, that is, Creoles and Europeans, were combined, along with mestizos, their total number was 52.89% (3,283,360 people) 1 .
The distribution by group in the census is rather arbitrary. The questionnaires asked about race: "White, Indian, Negro, yellow or mestizo?". The instruction read: "Persons who do not belong to any of the first three categories are designated as mestizos." scientific research anthropological signs were not carried out, belonging to a particular group was determined "by eye"; 87% of the answers were given by counters, only 13% of the respondents determined their affiliation themselves 2 . Given general figures rather give approximate information about the anthropological characteristics of the population than about its ethnicity, which should be determined based on national identity, language and culture.
Peruvian researcher Luis Valcarcel believes that aggregation in the census in common group mestizo does not determine the state of things; it was necessary to divide the population recorded in this column into two groups: 1) "Indometis", speaking Indian languages, in whose culture and life Indian features predominate; 2) "Belometis" speaking Spanish, with a predominance of European influence 3 .
The 1940 census gives separate data on the language
The ia of the population of Peru over the age of five say:
in Spanish 2,443,390 or 46.7%
» Quechua 1625156 » » 31.0%
» Quechua and Spanish 816,966 » » 15.8%
» Aymara 184 743 » » 3.5%
» Aymara and Spanish 47,022 » » 0.9% not installed language - 2.1%
Even according to this very approximate table of Peruvians who speak only Spanish - and this includes some of the mestizos and some groups of Indians who switched to Spanish, the so-called Ladino (ladino), -46.7%, i.e. less than half ; consequently, the vast majority of the country's population are Indians and mestizos.
The French geographer Lafon, estimating the population of Peru in 1949 at 8 million, believes that only about 500 thousand of them are Creoles, 30-40 thousand are Negroes, 20 thousand are Japanese and the same number are Europeans. Of the bulk - more than seven million - he attributes most of them to the Indians, who have retained their languages and culture, and the smaller part to mestizos and Ladino. The Peruvian researcher A. Sivirichi believes that the total number of the country's indigenous population reaches 70% 5 .
The Indians are settled in the southern mountainous regions of the country. In the departments of Puno, Cusco, Apurimac, Ayacucho, Indians make up 80-90% of the population, in neighboring departments - 50-70%. Indians as permanent residents are absent only in the department of Libertad and the adjacent part of the department of Cajamarca; but these official statistics are probably based on the fact that here the Indians did not retain either their language or their original culture.
Among the Indians, the Quechua are the most numerous; Peru is home to the bulk of this people. The number of Aymara is smaller, of which only one third is located within Peru, in the departments of Puno and Tacna. Of the other language families of the ancient state of the Incas, only Puquina has survived; it includes the language spoken by the Uru tribe; from him remained in 1931 only 100 people who lived on the lake. Titicaca.
From the beginning of the invasion of the Spanish invaders to the present day, the Indians represent the bulk of the productive, exploited population of Peru. The peasantry, agricultural and mining proletariat of the country in the overwhelming majority consist of Quechua and Aymara Indians.
Not to mention the semi-feudal enslavement of the masses of the Indian peasantry from ancient times to the present day, in urban life there are also remnants of slavery in various forms, and the humiliating position of Quechua remains in force. Although officially there are no discriminatory laws, the Indians are not given the opportunity to improve their skills; they endure the heaviest forms of physical labor. For example, all the servants in the Andean countries are Indians, mostly Quechua, mostly Quechuan women. The children of servants from the age of four or five also begin to serve and in fact turn into domestic slaves. If a maid for some reason leaves her masters, it is difficult for her to enter a new place with a child, and a child born in the house, if he is seven or ten years old by this time, usually remains to serve the masters. It is considered part of the house and works for free until it grows up. Not only in the house, but also on the street, the Indian must always remember his subordinate position. When meeting on the street, the Indian is obliged to get off the road, give way to the white. The position of the Indian workers and laborers is such that they have to endure even physical punishment and brutal treatment of their "white" masters and overseers.
The classification of ethnic groups adopted by official statistics does not correspond to the actual state of affairs, in any case it is extremely arbitrary and mostly arbitrary. On the one hand, Indians who know at least a few words in Spanish or have at least “splashes of white blood” in the genus are also classified as so-called mestizos, and on the other hand, Spanish-speaking Indians, the so-called Ladino, are ranked as "natives" on "racial" or "cultural" grounds, but in fact - on social and property status.
If an Indian manages to become prosperous, he sends his children to school, dressing them in European fashion. The second generation tends to move away from Agriculture. These Indians begin to engage in trade or are hired by clerks, managers. And they themselves and those around them begin to consider them mestizos. If, however, a mestizo is forced, having left the city, to go to work as farm laborers on the estate, then he is reckoned among the Indians. If a wealthy mestizo sends his son to the university, then a lawyer who graduated from him, entering the service, enters the society of Creoles. His children can already be classified as Creoles. There are, of course, very few of them. There are many more of those who, even having received an education, suffer from unemployment and are not able to get out of the position of "inferior" citizens.
Peruvians of European and mixed ancestry
The so-called white population of Peru traces its origins to the Spanish conquerors. Soldiers and officials came for the most part without families and married "Indian princesses", the daughters of Indian foremen and leaders, so in fact their descendants were already mestizos. But the name formed in this way in subsequent generations constituted a closed layer and opposed itself to Indians and mestizos - children from mixed marriages in the first generation. Unlike the Spaniards who came from Europe, the descendants of the conquerors and settlers during the colonial period began to be called Creoles. This designation is preserved at the present time, but in recent decades its content has changed.
The problem of national consolidation and the formation of the culture of Latin American countries is attracting more and more attention. Studies conducted by ethnographers and sociologists in recent decades show the complexity of classifying the ethnic groups of modern Latin America.
At the present time in Peru the ruling classes do not call themselves Creoles and even oppose themselves to the Creoles, as well as to the mestizos. Aristocrats call themselves Peruvians, but not Creoles, and imitate in their culture and everyday life the ruling classes of European countries (Spain, France, England) and especially the United States. The epithet "Creole" is applied to everything local, meaning a mixture of Indian "and old Spanish elements. Social content is also embedded in this term: Creole culture is the culture of the broad masses, in contrast to the culture of the aristocracy. Such a view is not far from the truth. Folk culture The Peruvian nation, like other Andean countries, was formed precisely from the historically formed combination of the main Indian layer and Spanish and other European layers.
Peruvians, usually called whites, are followed by groups of mixed origin - mestizos (misti) and cholo (cholo). Although both of them are mestizos, there are some shades that have social content. In the view of others, the Cholo is closer to the Indian in terms of its culture, way of life, clothing; he is a poor, uneducated man doing hard work. Misty is closer to the whites; as a rule, he is a city dweller, a craftsman or a merchant, whose everyday life is dominated by European features 2 . The designations mestizo and creole now almost merge, they often refer to the same groups; the term "Creole" is rather used as a definition of culture and way of life.
Groups of European and mixed ancestry speak Spanish. However, the broad masses of the people do not speak literary Spanish, but local dialects of this language, with some modifications in phonetics and word formation. Borrowings from the Quechua language occupy a significant place in the vocabulary, many of which have gained worldwide distribution (this applies to the names of plants and animals). The names of geographical areas are taken from the Quechua language - puna (puna), pampa (ratra); then the terms are widely used: ailyu(aillu) - community, tribe; tanda (tanda) - daily earnings (formerly corvee); china (china) - Indian woman, servant; nunyu (nunu) - nurse; guagua (guagua) - child; guacho (guacho) - an orphan, a foundling and a number of others.
Life of Peruvians of European and mixed origin varies depending on the social status. The aristocracy is an isolated group and lives in special quarters in old Spanish-style palaces, surrounded by lush gardens. The life of the Peruvian aristocracy was characterized by an extraordinary abundance of silver in household use. Jewelry (fasteners, buckles, chains, pendants, belts), all utensils, including kitchen utensils, small utensils and chests for storing things, as well as horse harness - everything was cast and minted from silver.
With the development of capitalist relations, with the invasion of North American capital, an increasing imitation of the way of life of Europeans and Americans began. New palaces are sometimes built in an eclectic style and stand out unfavorably against the background of the majestic buildings of antiquity and the beautiful buildings of the era of Spanish colonization.
The middle bourgeoisie and bureaucracy live in one-story Spanish-style houses with an inner courtyard, with balconies decorated with cast iron bars. The clothes are dominated by light fabrics of bright colors, even for men. In everyday life, especially in entertainment, there are many Indian features.
The differences in living conditions and everyday life between the ruling classes and the broad masses of the people are very sharp. In the cities, artisans and workers live on the outskirts, in shacks with no electric light and no heating, no sewerage. The slums of ports, such as Callao, are particularly overcrowded and unsanitary.
Citizens wear factory-made clothing, mostly imported from the United States. In contrast to the ruling strata of society, among the people, an integral part of the costume is a hat, while shoes are often absent. A lot of money is spent on a hat; both men and women wear factory fedoras. The outerwear of workers and artisans, as well as farmers, is an Indian poncho cloak for men, and a shawl for women.
The broad masses of the population support Indian and Creole traditions in food. Dishes richly seasoned with pepper and other spices, chicha and pisco drinks are popular.
Public education in Peru is poorly organized even among the Creoles. According to the Ministry of Public Education of Peru for 1942, only 35% of the children of the urban population (mainly Creole and mestizo) studied in schools. The reasons that hinder the wider involvement of children in school are as follows: lack of funds for the construction of schools and the payment of teachers; the difficult financial situation of parents "" of parents who cannot provide children with clothes and textbooks, and often even feed them; in agricultural areas - the need to involve children in housework. Due to all these reasons, the law on compulsory education, published in Peru in 1920, remains on paper, there are no real possibilities for its implementation.
But even that part of the population that received the secondary and even higher education, stands far away high level culture. The reactionary role is played by the Catholic Church, which exerts an enormous influence on the whole work of education and encourages obscurantism. In schools, the first place is given to the catechism. Natural science is not taught even in secondary schools in rural areas, but only in cities. Superstitions and prejudices are widespread among all segments of the population.
Clerical circles hold in their hands not only the whole of education; their influence pervades all areas of life. According to the data of 1928, in Peru there were 525 Catholic congregations and orders, about one and a half thousand churches and more than two thousand chapels, there were many thousands of white and black clergy. Long before each holiday, the clergy collect money from the parishioners to pay for the upcoming service and organize ceremonies and processions.
In 1920, the Catholic Church in Peru introduced a special cult of the "Heart of the Lord" as a state cult. And before that, paintings of religious content made private apartments look like monasteries. But after the introduction of a new cult, lithographs with images of a huge heart appeared everywhere; was considered good tone hang such lithographs in the living room.
The health care system in Peru is at a very low level. There is no medical care at all in rural mountainous and forest areas. On the coast health care especially needed. Almost the entire population suffers from malaria without exception; epidemics of dysentery and typhoid almost do not stop. Children are particularly affected by the poor health situation. According to the descriptions of many authors, infant mortality is especially high, it is more significant than indicated by official statistics.
The birth rate in Peru is high, especially in the countryside: peasant women, starting at the age of fifteen, give birth on average every one and a half to two years. And yet, it is rare to find families with four children, there are almost no more; on average, two or three children survive. The reason is the plight of women. The peasant woman is overburdened with physical work and cannot look after the children. By the age of four or five, a child is often already involved in some kind of work. In the cities, women stay at work until the very birth and return to it immediately after the birth. Babies are here, at the troughs of the laundresses or at the weaving looms. Children school age Almost all suffer from chronic diseases.
The ruling classes try to emphasize the continuity of their culture and art from the Spanish culture and are proud of the monuments of the era of colonization. But the development of art in Peru took place on the basis of an original Indian culture. The best architectural monuments of the colonial era undeniably testify to this. Indian artists and craftsmen, put at the service of the colonialists, introduced elements of original Indian art into their creations and created a special, unique style.
In the architecture of Peru, the Indian influence appears very clearly. In Cusco, among the sculptural decorations of the university building, there are images of Indians; in the monastery church, the vaults are decorated with stucco flowers and a frieze of the old Inca style. On the facade of the cathedral in Puno, built in 1794, the columns are decorated with jaguars and Indian "sirens" playing Indian musical instruments - charangs. The Russian traveler A.S. Ionin describes the bas-reliefs on the ancient buildings of Arequipa in Peru as follows: “Thick snakes wind on the thick branches of clumsy stone trees with melon-like leaves; under these trees, the same fat animals stand on their hind legs - cougars, tigers, and especially llamas with infinitely long necks, and people with outstretched arms hold hooked wands, exactly like the images of the Incas on some monuments of Peru; meanwhile, all this arose during the domination of the Europeans ... It is clear, - writes Ionin, - that the Europeans got here into a long-established world, already peculiar and strengthened, - and although they destroyed it to the ground, they involuntarily fell "under the influence of his spirit" 1 .
In sculpture, Indian sculptors created images of various deities and saints with local features. Such is the Virgin of Almudena in the chapel of the Bishopric of Mollinedo in Peru, which was cast by the Indian Juan Thomas. Another Indian master, Melchior Waman, became famous as the creator church pulpits with rich ornamentation.
In painting, which during the colonial period was purely religious in nature, Native American artists captured physical type, life and costumes of the Incas, reproduced the colorful gamut characteristic of the Indians and the manner of depicting the human figure. Many frescoes and paintings are wonderful monuments of everyday life and clothing of the court society of the Incas. The scene of the baptism of Christ by John is depicted in the landscape of Lake Titicaca. An invaluable source for the study of colonial architecture, public life, as well as costumes of the highest nobility of the Incas is created in the XVIII century. a group of ten paintings in Santa Ana depicting the "Corpus of the Lord" procession.
In modern fine arts There are several destinations in Peru that focus on Amerindian culture. Such is, for example, national school Fine Arts, headed by the largest artist in Peru - José Sabogal. Artists "Indianists" depict the types of the indigenous population, scenes from his life. They strive to reproduce the original Indian gamut of colors and reflect the perception of the world around them "through the eyes of an Indian."
Creoles borrowed music, songs and dances from Spain. But the Indian influence was reflected in the pace and rhythm and, especially, in the nature of the dance movements. An example is a special Creole waltz. A popular dance accompanied by singing is called Marinera: it is rather a pantomime depicting the courtship of a young man for a girl.
Borrowed from Europe, the carnival has changed greatly under local influence. It includes, in addition to Spanish entertainments, such as bullfighting and cockfighting, also Indian games .
The special term harana refers to a festival with entertainment of both European origin (carousel) and local type. The harana also includes a festive treat with chicha and Indian dishes.
Forest Indians
The forest tribes of the eastern region belong to several language families. On the border of Peru and Ecuador, the Huitoto, who also live in Colombia, represent an independent family; on the banks of the river Yapura - tribes of the Tupi family; in the triangle between the rivers Napo and Marañon and the Andes, the tribes of the Saparo and Jibaro families; south of the river Maranion, east of the river. The Walyagi are the pano family. The tribes of the upper reaches of the river also belong to the last group. Madre de Dios. These backward tribes, which did not have and do not have a common tribal organization, live scattered, in small groups. Many of them have preserved a nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life: they spend most of the year moving from place to place in search of game and fruits. They are engaged in hunting, fishing and gathering. The sarbakan is used as a weapon - an arrow-throwing tube, arrows are poisoned with plant poison. The other part is engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, growing some root crops, corn.
Primitive forest tribes preserved their original way of life and even the appearance of independence. According to official data, they are granted self-government. But this independence is only apparent, self-government is fictitious, their state of the art in fact, very far from the primitive communal system.
The reasons that determine the apparent independence of these tribes are as follows. The eastern region of Peru is very sparsely populated, because its development involves enormous difficulties. This area is covered with dense forest vegetation; forests are often swampy. A hot * rainy equatorial climate prevails here, which is difficult to tolerate by unaccustomed strangers; many specific diseases are common, numerous poisonous reptiles and insects, as well as predatory animals are found. All this makes it difficult for the colonizers to move deep into the jungle. So far, in the eastern region there is no railways and in general, movement is possible only on foot, on horseback, or along a network of rivers. However, geographic isolation does not ensure independence for the Forest Indians.
In the course of the last half century, capitalist relations have been pushing their way into these jungles with increasing intensity. Companies are being organized to export rubber, cinchona bark, tagua nut (the shell of which, due to its strength and appearance called "vegetative ivory"), valuable wood. Invading the habitats of the Indians with weapons in their hands, the entrepreneurs force them to collect raw materials and hand over industrial products of little value, and sometimes of little use to the Indians, in exchange. Indians have to move and settle depending on the availability of the right raw materials, their way of life is now associated with the extraction of valuable forest products required by entrepreneurs.
Missionaries came along with the entrepreneurs. Forcibly introducing Christianity, they speak of familiarization with culture and civilization. The missionaries force the Indians to settle near the missions, in several groups together. Cluster large population in unsuitable conditions for this, in the absence of sufficient food, leads to starvation and disease. In fact, the forest Indians are dying out. The survivors try in vain to find refuge in the depths of the impenetrable jungle, where they are forced to eke out a miserable existence *
* The value is calculated by linear interpolation, taking into account the two most closely standing each to friend values(Date->Population) (informal).** Migration growth is included in the calculation of birth rate growth: Birth rate = Population + Mortality.
*** We do not have population figures prior to 1950. The figures shown are based on an approximate calculation using the function: population in 1900 = 70% of population in 1950.
United Nations, Department of Economic and social issues, Population Division (2015). World Demographic Prospects: A 2015 Revision. These estimates and forecasts were made according to the medium-term birth rate option. Used with permission from the United Nations. Downloaded: 2015-11-15 (un.org)
City density map created from population.city using data provided to us by 1km.net. Each circle represents a city with a population of over 5000. Link
The population density map was created according to the instructions of daysleeperrr on reddig. Link1 . Data source: Gridded Population of the World (GPW), 3rd online edition in Socioeconomic Data and Applications (SEDAC) at Columbia University.
Peru is a country in South America. It borders Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, and Bolivia and Chile to the southeast. In the west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean. Area - 1,285,220 sq. km. The total length of the border is 5536 km (the length of the borders with Bolivia is 900 km, with Brazil - 1560 km, with Chile - 160 km, with Colombia - 1496 km, with Ecuador - 1420 km). Coastline length: 2414 km.
Administrative-territorial division of Peru: 25 departments. The capital of Peru is Lima. The head of state is the president. The legislative body of Peru is the Democratic Constituent Congress.
By natural conditions Peru is divided into three zones: coastal (Costa) - 12% of the territory, mountainous (Sierra) - 27%, wooded (Selva) - 61% of the territory. They are divided into regions: the northern part of the Costa is formed by the Sechura desert; the central and southern parts stretch in a narrow arid ribbon (up to 80 km) between the Coastal Cordillera and the ocean; the mountainous country begins with the Condor Cordillera.
Relief and minerals
A mountainous republic on the Pacific coast of South America. The narrow coastal lowlands have a dry climate. From north to south, 3 Andes mountain ranges stretch across the country - an area prone to earthquakes. In the west of Peru, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, there is a narrow strip of desert coastal plains (Costa). To the east - the mountain belt of the Andes (Sierra). To the east is Amazonian lowland. (Selva), passing in the south into the foothill plain (Montagna).
Western Cordillera (altitude over 6 thousand m) is replete with volcanoes: active - Soliman (6117 m), Misti (5821 m), etc.; extinct - Huaskaran (6768 m), Koropuna (6425 m), Ausangate (6384 m), etc.
Intermountain plateaus and plateaus with a height of 3000-4000 m in the south form a large semi-desert plateau - Punu. Here, in the south, the Altiplano intermountain depression stands out with the high-mountain lake Titicaca (Peru owns only West Side lakes). In the northern part of the Costa there are many short rivers flowing into the ocean (Pyura, Santa, Tumbes, Chira). In Pune, the inland flow basin of Lake Titika-ka stands out. Most of the Sierra and Selva rivers are part of the Amazon river system, its main source is the Maran-on River, along with its tributaries Hualyagoy and Ucayali.
Within the country, from west to east, three large natural areas are distinguished: 1) Costa - the coastal desert, 2) Sierra - the highlands of the Andes and 3) Selva - the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent plains of the Amazon basin.
The coastal desert - Costa, stretching in a narrow indented strip along the entire Peruvian coast (for 2270 km), is the northern continuation of the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the north, between the cities of Piura and Chiclayo, the desert occupies a wide lowland, the surface of which is occupied mainly by mobile sand dunes. Further south, in the section from Chiclayo to Pisco, the steep slopes of the Andes rise to the ocean itself. Near Pisco, several merged alluvial fans form a narrow lowland of irregular shape, in some places partitioned off by mountain spurs. Even further south, near the coast, a low mountain range rises, reaching about 900 m above sea level. To the east of it stretches a deeply dissected rocky surface, gradually rising to the foot of the Andes. Most of the Costa is so arid that of the 52 rivers flowing westward from the slopes of the Andes, only 10 carry their waters to the ocean. The coast is the economically most important region of Peru. The region's 40 oases produce most of the most important agricultural crops, including those for export. On the coast there are also a number of major cities - Lima, Callao, Chiclayo and Trujillo.
Andean highlands - Sierra. The Peruvian Andes, reaching 320 km wide, occupy more than a third of the country's area; their peaks reach a height of 5500 m above sea level. Numerous mountain ranges stretch approximately from northwest to southeast. Ten peaks rise above 6100 m, and the highest of them - Huascaran - reaches 6768 m. In the southern part there are volcanoes, the most famous of them is Misti Cone (5822 m) towering over the city of Arequipa. The eastern slopes of the Andes, on which heavy rains fall, are dissected by deeply incised river valleys and form a chaotic heap of sharp ridges, alternating with canyons up to 3000 m deep; several large tributaries of the Amazon River originate here. This region of sharply and deeply dissected relief presents the greatest difficulty in crossing the Andes. Indians live here, using narrow strips of fertile land for crops on the bottoms of river valleys and in the lower parts of the slopes. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, at around 3812 m above sea level, there is an alpine lake Titicaca; this is the largest of the alpine lakes with an area of 8446 sq. km. km, 59% of its water area is located in Peru.
The soils of the Costa and the western slopes of the Andes are infertile. In the mountainous region in the north and east, mountain-steppe soils predominate, in the southeast - characteristic of semi-deserts.
Selva includes the lower part of the eastern slopes of the Andes and the flat plains of the Amazon basin adjacent to them. This area occupies more than half of the total area of the country. The plain is covered with dense and tall tropical rain forests, and the only means of communication here are the large rivers - Ucayali, the upper reaches of the Amazon, which bears the name Marañon here, and Napo. The main economic center of the region is Iquitos, located on the river. Amazon; this is the highest point that river steamers with a draft of more than 4 m can reach.
Peru has always stood out for its wealth of minerals, especially gold, silver, copper mines, reserves of iron ore, mercury, tungsten, and manganese. There are salt mines, coal deposits. Guano reserves are depleted.
Climate of Peru
The average temperature on the coast of Peru ranges from + 14°C to + 27°C, with precipitation up to 3000 mm per year, while in the highlands or in the sierra it is usually cool, sunny and dry for most of the year. The average temperature here varies from + 9°С to + 18°С. From December to May in the Sierra, the rainy season, precipitation falls from 700 to 1000 mm per year. The jungle is hot and humid, +25-28°C. Lima suffers from garua, a dense, damp fog that envelops the entire city even in winter.
Coastal desert. It is very dry and cool on the ocean coast due to the cold Peruvian Current (Humboldt Current) passing nearby. Sea breezes keep the average temperature 6°C below the latitudinal norm. In Lima, it ranges from 16 to 23 ° C. The statistical annual rainfall here is 50 mm, but in some years it does not rain at all. In winter (from June to October) the sky is constantly covered with clouds, coastal fogs are frequent. At this time of the year, the foothills of the Andes are shrouded in a damp haze, locally called "garua". Garua stimulates the growth of low grasses and forb ephemerals, which together make up a community called "loma" and used as pasture.
Highlands of the Andes. Climatic conditions and the vegetation cover of the mountains vary depending on the absolute height. Average temperatures drop by about 1.7°C every 450 m rise. Perpetual snow and glaciers cover the peaks above 5000 m a.s.l., and agriculture is possible up to 4400 m a.s.l. Average temperatures in Cusco (3380 m above sea level) fluctuate over the years from 8 to 11 ° C, frosts often occur at night. On open eastern slopes the annual precipitation rate exceeds 2500 mm, in closed basins it is much less, amounting, for example, in Cusco, 810 mm.
The amount of precipitation decreases rapidly towards the south, which greatly affects the nature of the vegetation. In the north and east of the country, the middle part of the Andean slopes is covered with a dense subtropical mountain forest, which gradually gives way to a more temperate forest type with height, called ceja de la montaña (“eyebrow of the mountain”), or simply “seja”. Among its species, the cinchona tree, the source of quinine, is of the greatest value. In the south, the alpine vegetation is formed mainly by drought-resistant feather grass, short grasses and the resinous shrub lepidophyllum (this community is called "tola"). The bottom and lower parts of the slopes of dry closed valleys are occupied by cacti, thorny legumes and deciduous broad-leaved trees, while the upper part of the slopes is covered by "sekha".
Selva. In the zone of humid tropical forests, the temperature is high all year round, and heavy rains fall. In Iquitos, the average temperature of the coldest month is 23°C and the hottest is only 26°C, with an annual rainfall of 2615 mm. The natural vegetation is represented by high-stemmed tropical rainforest, under the canopy of which a dense shadow practically does not allow the ground layer to develop. Of the thousands of tree species, acajou (mahogany) and cedrela are of the greatest economic importance. Grasses grow on poorly drained areas, while stiff grasses and low shrubs grow on loose sandy soils and rocky slopes.
Fauna of Peru
The fauna of Costa on land is scarce. Of the representatives of the animal world in Peru, the jaguar, puma, llama, monkeys, anteater, sloth, tapir, chinchilla, armadillo, crocodile, a large number of birds, snakes, lizards and insects. The world of sea birds is abundant on the islands and the water kingdom is rich (mollusks, different types fish, especially anchovies). In the Sierra, there are representatives of the genus of llamas - guanaco and vicuña, many birds. Lake Titicaca abounds in fish (especially trout). Peccaries, tapirs, anteaters, many monkeys, especially many birds (toucans, parrots, hummingbirds), reptiles and insects are found in the Selva.
The Selva has a tropical fauna that includes many species of birds, reptiles and mammals, while the Andes are dominated by llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos. Among the rodents of the highlands there are viscacha and chinchilla. In the cold waters surrounding the coastal desert, abundant plankton provide food for many species of game fish, including tuna, bonito, swordfish, mackerel, croaker and stone bass. Sea fish feed on millions of local birds, including pelicans, cormorants and boobies. They nest on rocky islands, and their faeces, which are well preserved in an arid climate, are used as fertilizer - the so-called. guano. The fragile ecological balance of coastal communities is periodically disturbed by the intrusion of warm equatorial waters pushing back the Peruvian Current. This phenomenon is called El Niño. It causes the migration of plankton and fish, as a result of which many birds die of starvation. At the same time, huge clouds form over the ocean, pouring rain over the desert.
Population of Peru
Ethnicity and language. About a hundred Indian tribes live in the rainforests of eastern Peru. These tribes, practically isolated from the rest of the population, speak local dialects and earn their living by hunting, fishing and farming. Another indigenous group includes the Quechua and Aymara Indians. Many of them moved to the capital of the country - Lima and other cities on the coast, especially after the 1980s broke out in the mountains guerrilla war, but the majority continues to live in the Andes, being engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The rest of the population is made up of Creoles - white descendants of Europeans, mostly Spaniards, who practically dominated the country until the 1970s; mestizos - descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans and Indians, who make up the bulk of the middle class, as well as a certain number of blacks and immigrants from Asia.
According to a 2003 estimate, the population of Peru was 28.40 million. By 2003, the population increased by an average of 1.61% annually. It is expected that by 2005 the population will be approximately 28,659 thousand people. The birth rate is estimated at 22.81 per 1,000 inhabitants and the death rate at 5.69 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The average life expectancy in Peru is 68.45 for men and 73.43 for women. Once a predominantly rural country, it quickly urbanized, so that in 1997 more than 70% of its inhabitants lived in cities. Approximately 60% of the population is concentrated in the coastal zone, which makes up only 11% of the territory of Peru; it is here that the main centers of the political and economic life of the country are located. About 30% of Peruvians live in the mountains, 10% in the Amazonian Selva.
Peruvian cities are expanding rapidly as settlers and refugees from the highlands settle on the outskirts of Lima and other centers. There they build shelters, build houses and form the so-called "young cities". The largest city of Peru - Lima, the capital of the country and its administrative, financial and cultural center, has a population (according to a 1997 estimate) of 5,659 thousand people. major cities are also Arequipa (634 thousand people) in the south of the country; Trujillo (532 thousand), Callao (515 thousand), Chiclayo (426 thousand), Piura (324 thousand) and Chimbote (296 thousand) in the northern and central part of the coast; Cuzco (275 thousand) in the south of the Andes mountain region; and Iquitos (269,000) in the upper Amazon (all of the above estimates of the population of cities, with the exception of Lima, are given for 1993).
About 90% of the population formally belong to the Roman Catholic Church, although the majority attend only occasional services or do not perform rituals at all and are more committed to traditional folk beliefs. Catholic clergy receive a small annual allowance from the state. In 1979, a concordat was signed between the Vatican and the Peruvian government, which secured the separation of church and state and proclaimed freedom of religion. IN Lately the number of Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals has increased, but they make up no more than 6% of the population.
On the territory of modern Peru in ancient times lived the original peoples of South America, in particular the Incas, who were enslaved by the Spanish conquerors in 1533.
Peru declared its independence in 1821 and in 1824, after the final expulsion of the Spanish military presence, Peru became independent.
Like most Latin American countries, Peru experienced a military dictatorship in the 20th century, and in 1980 democratic forces came to power in the country. In 1990, Alberto Fujimoris was democratically elected president of the country, but his authoritarian style of leadership, and as a result, the accumulation of a mass of problems of various nature in the country, led to his exile in 2000. From 2000 to 2001, the country was ruled by an interim government.
In 2006, Alan Garcia Pere won the presidential election, this moment is the president of the country.
Geography of Peru
Location:
Western South America, washed by the Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
Geographical coordinates:
1000 S, 7600 W
Territory :
Total area: 1,285,216 sq. km
Place of the country in the world: 20
land: 1,279,996 sq. km
water: 5 220 sq. km
Land borders:
Total length: 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
Climate:
varies from tropical in the east to desert in the west; temperate to cold in the Andes
Landscape:
Andes mountains in the center (mountain range), eastern jungle of the Amazon basin (selva)
Critical points:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
The most high point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
Natural resources:
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydroelectricity, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 2.88%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.65% (2005)
Irrigated land:
12,000 sq. km (2003)
Freshwater renewable resources:
1,913 cu. km (2000)
Freshwater (domestic/industrial/agricultural) use:
total: 20.13 cu. km / respectively (8% / 10% / 82%)
per capita: 720 cu. m./ (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, volcanic activity
Geography - note:
slope of Nevado Mismi, peak 5316 m., is the beginning of the Amazon River
Demographics of Peru
29,546,963 (July 2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 39
Age structure:
0-14 years old: 29.1% (men 4,370,923/women 4,216,364)
15-64 years old: 65.2% (Men 9,695,270/Women 9,574,018)
65 years and older: 5.7% (men 796,631/women 893,757) (2009 est.)
Average age:
Of the total population: 26.1 years
men: 25.8 years
women: 26.4 years (2009 est.)
1.229% (est. 2009)
Place of the country in the world: 107
19.38 births/1000 (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 107
Urbanization:
urban population: 71% of the total population (2008)
urbanization growth: +1.3% annual rate (2005)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 men/woman
less than 15 years old: 1.04 men/woman
15-64 years old: 1.01 men/woman
65 years and older: 0.89 men/woman
total population: 1.01 males/female (2009 est.)
Of the total population: 70.74 years
Place of the country in the world: 138
men: 68.88 years
women: 72.69 years (2009 est.)
0.5% (2007 estimate)
Place of the country in the world: 77
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
76,000 (2007 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 53
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,300 (est. 2007)
Place of the country in the world: 55
Religions:
Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified or none 2.9% (2007 Census)
Languages:
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of indigenous Amazonian languages
Education spending:
2.5% of GDP (2006)
Place of the country in the world: 157
State structure of Peru
The name of the country: Republic of Peru
Government type: constitutional republic
Capital: Lima
geographical coordinates: 1203S, 7703W
Administrative districts:
25 regions and 1 province
- Amazonas
- Ancash
- Apurimac
- Arequipa
- Ayacucho
- Cajamarca
- Callao
- Cusco
- Huancavelica
- Huanuco
- Ica
- Junin
- La Libertad
- Lambayeque
- Lima Metropolitana
- Loreto
- Madre de Dios
- Moquegua
- pasco
- Piura
- San Martin
- Puno
- tacna
- Tumbes
- Ukayali
*Lima
Independence:
National holiday:
Constitution:
Executive Power:
head of state:
head of the government: President Alan Garcia Pere (since July 28, 2006);
note: Prime Minister Javier Velasx Xcn (since 12 July 2009) does not exercise executive power; that responsibility lies with the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the President
elections: a president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for re-election);
last held April 9, 2006 - last round of elections; next in April 2011
Legislature:
unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru (120 seats; deputies are elected by popular vote, for five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next in April 2011)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)
Economy of Peru
Economics - at a glance:
The country is rich in minerals, the coastal waters of Peru provide the development of the fishing industry of the economy. From 2002 to 2006, the Peruvian economy showed a steady annual growth of 6% per year. In 2007 and 2008, the economy grew by 9% per year, which was caused by rising prices for minerals.
Rapid economic development Peru has significantly reduced the poverty of the population and reached the mark of 15% for those living below the poverty line.
Despite economic growth in last years The country's problems remain:
Dependence on world prices for minerals
Inflation
Underdeveloped infrastructure
There is a great contrast in the development of the coastal regions of the country and the territories located inland.
$253 billion (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 45
$250.8 billion (2008 est.)
$228.4 billion (2007 est.)
$128.9 billion (2009 est.)
0.9% (2009 estimate)
Place of the country in the world: 100
9.8% (est. 2008)
8.9% (est. 2007)
$8,600 (est. 2009)
Place of the country in the world: 115
$8,600 (est. 2008)
$7,900 (est. 2007)
GDP - composition of sectors:
agriculture: 8.2%
industry: 25.1%
services: 54.5% (2009 est.)
10.26 million (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 48
Labor force - by composition of sectors:
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 23.8%
services: 75.5% (2005)
9% (2009 estimate)
Place of the country in the world: 101
8.1% (est. 2008)
note: underemployment is widespread in Lima
Population below the poverty line:
44.5 % (2006)
Budget:
revenue: $33.55 billion
spending: $37.97 billion (2009 est.)
State debt:
26.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 94
24% of GDP (2008 est.)
1.2% (2009 estimate)
Place of the country in the world: 46
6.7% (est. 2008)
Place of the country in the world: 12
Agriculture - manufactured products:
asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, grains, bananas, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, apples, lemons, pears, coca bush, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, onions, wheat, beans; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish; Guinea pigs
Industries - manufactured products:
Mining; steel; oil production and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing
Growth rate of industrial production:
5.5% (2009 estimate)
Place of the country in the world: 109
30.57 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 62
Electricity - consumption:
28.97 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 60
Electricity - export:
0 kWh (est. 2008)
Electricity - import:
0 kWh (est. 2008)
120,200 bbl/d (2008 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 50
Oil - consumption:
160,000 bbl/d (2008 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 65
68,640 bbl/d (2007 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 75
Oil - import:
133,100 bbl/d (2007 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 59
Place of the country in the world: 50
Place of the country in the world: 51
Natural gas - consumption:
3.39 bcm m. (est. 2008)
Place of the country in the world: 70
0 cu. m. (est. 2008)
Place of the country in the world: 136
Natural gas - import:
0 cu. m. (est. 2008)
Place of the country in the world: 149
Place of the country in the world: 39
- $817 million (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 123
- $4.18 billion (2008 est.)
Export:
$23.07 billion (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 64
$31.53 billion (2008 est.)
Export - commodities:
copper, gold, zinc, crude oil and petroleum products, coffee, potatoes, asparagus, textiles, fishmeal
Export - partners:
USA 20%, China 15.2%, Canada 8.3%, Japan 7%, Chile 5.8%, Brazil 4.2% (2008)
Import:
$20.3 billion (2009 est.)
Place of the country in the world: 68
$28.44 billion (2008 est.)
Import - commodities:
oil and oil products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper
Import - partners:
USA 23.4%, China 10.5%, Brazil 8.7%, Ecuador 6.4%, Chile 5%, Argentina 5%, Mexico 4.5% (2008)
Place of the country in the world: 34
Debt - external:
Place of the country in the world: 60
Transport Peru
Airports:
201 (2009)
comparison of the country with the world: 30
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 57
over 3,047 meters: 6
2438 - 3047 m.: 20
1524 - 2437 m: 14
914 - 1523 m: 13
less than 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 144
2438 - 3047 m: 2
1524 - 2437 m: 24
914 - 1523 m: 39
less than 914 m: 79 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
Heavy oil products 533 km; gas 1,083 km; liquid gas 677 km; oil 1,018 km; other 15 km (2009)
Railways:
Total length: 1,989 km
Place of the country in the world: 73
Gauge 1.435 m. gauge: 1,726 km
Gauge 0.914 m. gauge: 263 km (2008)
Highway:
Total length: 78,829 km
Place of the country in the world: 60
Paved: 11,351 km (includes 276 km of expressways)
unpaved: 67,478 km (2004)
Waterways:
8,808 km
Place of the country in the world: 14
note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of the Amazon River and 208 km of Lake Titicaca (2008)
Merchant navy:
total: 8
Place of the country in the world: 123
By type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 4
foreign-owned: 1 (Bahamas 1)
registered in other countries: 17 (Belize 1, Panama 16) (2008)
Military spending:
1.5% of GDP (2006)
Place of the country in the world: 107
Population size: 27 483 864 people (July 2001 est.).Age structure: under 14: 34.41% (male 4,803,464; female 4,654,890); 15 to 64 years old: 60.8% (male 8,408,210; female 8,302,943); over 65: 4.79% (male 603,309; female 711,048) (2001 est.).
Population Growth: 1.7% (2001 est.).
Fertility: 23.9 newborns / 1000 people (2001 est.).
Mortality: 5.78 deaths/1000 people (2001 est.).
Migration:-1.08 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male/female; under 15: 1.03 male/female; 15 to 64 years old: 1.01 male/female; over 65: 0.85 male/female; for the general population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 39.39 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 70.3 years; men: 67.9 years; women: 72.81 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 2.96 children/women (2001 est.).
Proportion of adult population infected with HIV: 0.35% (1999 est.).
Number of people infected with HIV: 48,000 (1999 est.).
AIDS deaths: 4,100 (1999 est.).
Nationality: noun: Peruvian; adjective: Peruvian.
Ethnic groups: Indians 45%, mestizos (descendants of Indians and whites) 37%, whites 15%, blacks, Japanese, Chinese, other 3%.
Believers: Catholics 90%.
Languages): Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara.
Literacy: definition: persons aged 15 and over who can read and write; for the general population: 88.7%; men: 94.5%; women: 83% (1995 est.).
