For hundreds of years the South American country of Peru was ruled by the great Inca Empire. In Quechua, the language of the Inca people, the country's name means “land of abundance.” The name refers to the vast mineral, agricultural, and marine resources that have long been the basis of Peru's economy. The capital of Peru is Lima. GeographyPeru is a large country on the west coast of South America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia on the north, Brazil and Bolivia on the east, and Chile on the south. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. Peru covers an area of 496,225 square miles (1,285,216 square kilometers), making it about the same size as Great Britain, France, and Spain combined. - The volcano Chachani overlooks terraced fields in southern Peru. Chachani is the highest peak shown.
The main feature of Peru's geography is the mighty Andes Mountains. They run parallel to the coast in the central part of the country. In this region is Peru's highest peak, Mount Huascarán, which rises 22,205 feet (6,768 meters). In southern Peru many of the mountains are volcanoes. Between the Andes and the ocean is a coastal belt of desert lowlands that contains some huge sand dunes. Most of the country's major cities are located in this area. East of the Andes is a vast lowland region called the montaña, or the selva. The montaña makes up more than half of the country's area and is mostly covered with tropical rain forest. Several large rivers flow north- and eastward out of the Andes to join the Amazon, the mightiest river in the world. The largest of these headwaters of the Amazon are the Marañón and the Ucayali. On the border of Peru and Bolivia in the south is Lake Titicaca. At a height of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) above sea level, it is the world's highest navigable lake. The climate of Peru varies between its geographic regions. The Amazon region in the east is hot and humid with heavy rainfall throughout the year. In the Andes, temperatures generally drop as elevation increases. The highest peaks are always covered with snow. The coastal belt west of the Andes has one of the Earth's driest climates. The mountains prevent winds carrying rain from the wet Amazon region from reaching the coast. Plants and animalsThe dry coastal belt and the mountains have little vegetation except shrubs, cacti, and grasses. Puna grass in the mountains feeds a number of grazing animals, including South America's relatives of the camel—llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. The thick tropical rain forests of the montaña are home to a rich variety of wildlife, including parrots, monkeys, jaguars, and crocodiles. The world's largest living rodent, the capybara, also lives there. It may reach a length of 4 feet (1.3 meters) and weigh 145 pounds (66 kilograms) or more. Millions of seabirds live along the Pacific coast. People and cultureThe arrival of the Spanish in Peru in the 16th century dramatically changed the ethnic and social makeup of the country. Today Europeans, mostly of Spanish ancestry, make up only about an eighth of Peru's population but hold most of the power and wealth. Mestizos, or people of mixed American Indian and European ancestry, account for about a third of the population and are middle class. They speak Spanish and usually have an active role in the country's political and economic systems. American Indians are the largest ethnic group in Peru, making up about half of the population. But they live in poverty and have little or no say in the affairs of the country. They speak their own languages, mostly Quechua and Aymara. People of Japanese and Chinese ancestry are a small part of the population, but they are prominent in business and politics. Roman Catholicism is the main religion. In the 20th century many Peruvians moved from the countryside to cities and towns along the coast. By the early 21st century about three quarters of the population lived in urban areas. Lima, the capital and by far the largest city, is near the coast in central Peru. The next largest cities are Arequipa, in a mountain valley in the south, and Callao, a port just west of Lima. Trujillo and Chiclayo are the major cities of the northern coast. Peruvians of Spanish descent and the mestizos live mainly along the coast. The Indians live mostly in the Andes and in the eastern Amazon region. The culture of Peru is a blend of Indian and European traditions. Peru's best-known contribution to the performing arts is probably the traditional music of the Andean region. Known as música folklórica, it is made with flutes, panpipes, the charango (a small guitar made from an armadillo shell or a gourd), and drums. Popular along the coast is música criolla, which has roots in Africa and Spain. The main instruments for this form of music are guitars and wooden boxes on which the player beats out a rhythm. Economy - Farmland stretches across the Andean region near Cuzco, Peru. The mountains of the Cordillera de …
Agriculture has always been a major part of Peru's economy. Farming declined in importance as industries developed in the second half of the 20th century, but it still employs about a third of the country's workforce. The most productive farmland is in the dry coastal region, where irrigation is used to bring water to the fields. Sugarcane, rice, corn (maize), and cotton are among the region's most important crops. In the Andes farmers grow potatoes and grains such as corn and wheat. Peruvians also raise cattle, pigs, goats, and chickens. Nevertheless, Peru cannot feed its growing population and must import food. - Fishing for anchovies off the coast of Peru.
Until the early 1970s Peru was the world's leading fishing nation, but then overfishing severely reduced the catch. The industry later recovered, though the catch did not approach earlier levels. Forestry is an important activity in the eastern Amazon region. Peru has a wealth of mineral resources. Mining accounts for about half of the country's exports. The most valuable minerals include gold, copper, zinc, silver, lead, and iron ore. Some oil is exported as well. Manufacturing in Peru is focused mainly on processing the country's natural resources. Wool from llamas, alpacas, and sheep, for example, is used to make textiles. Food processing and the making of chemicals, metal goods, and wood products are also major industries. HistoryThe first people to live in what is now Peru probably arrived there more than 13,000 years ago. Several advanced cultures developed in different parts of the region beginning in the 13th century BC. In about the 12th century AD the Inca established the city of Cuzco as their capital. In 1438 they began a 50-year period of conquest in which they took control of present-day Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. The impressive ruins of Machu Picchu, an Inca settlement near Cuzco, reveal the high level of Inca civilization. Spanish conquest and ruleThe Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro reached Peru in 1527. In 1533 he led a small army that captured and killed the Inca emperor and seized his empire. The Spanish forced the Inca to work for them. At the time of the Spanish conquest the Inca population was possibly more than 6 million people. During the first century after the conquest, however, their numbers dropped to about 1 million due to overwork, malnutrition, and diseases carried by the Spanish. As the native population declined, the Spanish colony of Peru grew in wealth and settlers. Largely because of the gold and silver found in the Andes, Peru became the richest and most powerful of the Spanish colonies in the New World. Fine churches and public buildings in Lima, Cuzco, and other cities are reminders of this spectacular colonial period. In the early 19th century many Spanish colonies in the New World revolted against Spanish rule. Peru remained loyal to Spain, however. As a result, foreigners led the battle against the Spanish in Peru. A general from Argentina named José de San Martín captured Lima and declared Peru independent from Spain in 1821. Later Simón Bolívar of Venezuela took up the struggle. The Spanish were driven out of Peru in 1824. Independent PeruThe years after independence were difficult for Peru. Leadership of the country changed frequently among military and civilian rulers. Between 1879 and 1883 Peru battled Chile in a war fought mainly over valuable mineral deposits in the Atacama Desert. Peru and its ally Bolivia were overwhelmingly defeated, and Peru had to give land to Chile. The cost of the war caused the country's debts to grow, but the economy began to recover in the late 19th century. It was helped by increased production of minerals such as copper and farm products such as cotton, sugar, and wool. But little was done to protect the rights of the Indians, whose lands were seized by white settlers. The population of Peru grew quickly beginning in the 1940s. Improvements in health care and nutrition were a major reason for this growth. Overpopulation in rural areas caused many people to move to cities, particularly Lima. In the course of several decades Peru changed from a mainly rural, agricultural country to a largely urban, industrial one. Recent decadesThe governments that led Peru in the 1980s and 1990s faced economic problems, including skyrocketing unemployment and huge debts. They also had to deal with opposition from violent revolutionary groups such as the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. In 1990 Alberto Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, was elected president of Peru. He succeeded in stabilizing the economy and combating the revolutionary groups. By the late 1990s, however, Peruvians had become dissatisfied with Fujimori because of the harshness and corruption of his rule. Under increasing pressure, Fujimori resigned in 2000. Population (2001 estimate), 26,090,000. |