Peru

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

In total, Peru spends US$2.7 billion on its military, or 1.39 percent of its GDP. This makes Peru the 56th highest military spender in the world and represents 0.14 percent of total global military expenditure.

The military of Peru, called the Peruvian Armed Forces, consist of an Army, Navy and an air force. Its main task is to ensure internal stability as well as territorial integrity.

Military membership

Peru is also a member of 6 international military organizations. This makes it the 57th most militarily connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces
Conference on Disarmament
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
International Atomic Energy Agency
Non-Aligned Movement

Military membership

International wars

Peru has partaken in 11 international wars. These are:

Paraguayan Revolt 1811-1811
Peruvian War of Independence 1811-1816
Gran Colombia–Peru War 1818-1819
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War 1857–1860
Chincha Islands War 1864-1865

Paraguayan War 1864-1870
War of the Pacific 1879-1883
Leticia Incident 1931-1933
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War 1941-1941
Paquisha War 1981-1981
Cenepa War 1995-1995

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, Peru is a member of 13 international political organizations. This makes it the 75th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Member state of the United Nations
International Labour Organization
Organization of American States
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
International CSPRPC
Organization of Ibero-American States
International Criminal Court
Interpol

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

The elections in Peru take place on a regular five-year basis. However, due to its increasing internal political instability, Peru is currently the 49th most democratic state in the world.

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Peru take place in the form of a presidential republic where the president is head of state as well as head of government. Despite enjoying a period of political stability, there have been increasing clashes between reformist and anti-reformist political powers. This has led to large protests throughout Peru and a grim forecast on its future.

Permanent Court of Arbitration
Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
Global Green Growth Institute
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
World Organization for Animal Health

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If you want to know more about other states, click on the flag on the right to discover the Philippines.

Known for its historical sites such as the Nazca lines and Machu Picchu, Peru has entered a period of instability. Before its contacts with the Europeans, Peru was inhabited by the Inca Empire. After its first contacts with Spanish explorers at the start of the 16th century, a war ensued between Spanish conquistadors and the Inca Empire which resulted in the colonization of Peru by the Spanish. After several revolts against the Spanish, Peru gained its independence in 1824. Since then, it has fought several territorial wars with neighbouring states which resulted in the loss of territory. After the second world war, the government of Peru was ousted in a military coup which lasted until 1963. Then, again in 1992, another military coup took place. After returning to civilian rule in 1993, scandals as well as civil unrest started to increase which has led to protests in 2022. .

Located on the western part of South America, the geography of Peru consists of a high mountain range which runs along its coast on the Pacific border. More inland, there is a flat plane that is located in the Amazon rain forest. Most of its terrain in the Amazon rain forest is densely forested while its mountainous area along the coast has low-lying vegetation. In total, Peru borders five other states with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast and Chile to the south.

It is the 19th largest state with a total surface area of 1.291.642 square kilometers or 498.706 square miles. This makes Peru slightly smaller than Chad and slightly larger than Mongolia.

It has a total water surface area of 5246 square kilometers or 2030 square miles. This makes Peru the 66th largest state in the world.

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

Peru has a lot of rivers within its mountain range. Most of the largest rivers in Peru gather near the border with Brazil in order to form the Amazon River. Tap water is unsafe to drink and needs further purification.

Afghanistan's share of water, as well as the other states are displayed below.

The climate of Peru differs by region but is subtropical overall. Its northern part is more closely located to the equator and experiences a tropical climate. The average temperature is 18.2 degrees Celsius or 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes Peru the 117th warmest state in the world.

The average high temperature is 22.7 degrees Celsius or 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average low temperature is 11.3 degrees Celsius or 52.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because of its location near the equator, Peru enjoys a rainy season, which lasts on average from November to March and a dry season from April to October. Peru receives 62.3 centimetres or 24.5 inches of rainfall per year which ranks it as the 145th highest in the world.

The capital of Peru, Lima, is home to approximately 800.000 people. The closest capital is Quito, Ecuador, with a distance of 1.316 kilometers or 818 miles. The capital that is the furthest removed is Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a distance of 19.826 kilometers or 12.319 miles.

The economy of Peru is characterized as a moderate economy which has developed rapidly over the last three decades. This growth has mainly come from its mineral wealth which has attracted lots of foreign investors as well as free trade agreements with large economies in the Western Hemisphere and southeast Asia. Most of its exported goods are raw materials such as gold and copper which are mainly exported to China and the United States which represent more than 40 percent of all exports. Most of its imports also comes from China and the United States with a combined share of 45 percent.

Peru is a member of 16 international economic organizations. This makes it the 36th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Alliance for Financial Inclusion
Bank for International Settlements
International Development Law Organization
International Monetary Fund
World Bank Group
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
International Bamboo and Rattan Organization
Andean Community
Pacific Alliance
International Renewable Energy Agency

International Solar Alliance
Group of 77
Group of 24
Advisory Centre on World Trade Organization Law

It has a GDP of US$215 billion, which makes it the 51st highest in the world and represents 0.3 percent of total global GDP.

Its GDP per surface area is the 133rd highest in the world with US$166.619 per square kilometer or US$431.541 per square mile.

Its GDP per capita is the 86th highest in the world with US$6614.

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power parity per capita is the 101st highest in the world with US$12744.

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

With a total population of 32.5 million people, Peru is the 42nd most populous state in the world. Because of its history with the Spanish, its present population majority of which is a mix between indigenous people and European ancestry. Other populations are mainly ethnically indigenous as well as descendants from African slaves. Therefore, Spanish as well as Quechua are its official languages.

It has the 153rd highest population density in the world with 25 people per square kilometer or 65 people per square mile.

Around 4.8 percent of its population, or just over 1.5 million people have migrated to other states. This makes Peru the 45th state with the highest amount of emigrants and represents 0.61 percent of total global emigration. The majority has migrated to the United States which is responsible for one third of all emigrants. Other large recipients are Chile, Argentina and Spain with each representing approximately 12 percent. The main reason for migration has been the low economic development of Peru. However, due to its large economic growth in recent decades, this emigration trend has been slowly reversing.

Immigration to Peru is represented by 2.4 percent of the population or nearly 800,000 people. This makes Peru the 52nd state with the largest amount of immigrants and represents 0.3 percent of total global immigration. Immigration to Peru is mainly done through business investments, marriage or political asylum. The main supplier of migrants to Peru has been Venezuela due to its political instability.

Education is provided for free and is compulsory between the ages of seven and 16. Despite this, there are cultural and geographical barriers for education which mainly affects the indigenous people. Today, Peru has a literacy rate of 93.9 percent which is the 106th highest in the world.

Alongside with economic growth, Peru has invested in the development of its healthcare system. This has led to a large decrease in neonatal deaths as well as the prevention of communicable diseases such as measles. However, other communicable diseases are still the largest health threat to its citizens alongside with environmental pollution in locations of its mining industry. The average life expectancy is 77.46 years which is the 87th highest in the world. Women have an average life expectancy of 80.15 years, while men have an average life expectancy of 74.9 years.

The government of Peru provides freedom of religion towards all religions and generally respects these practices.

Christianity is the largest religion in Peru. With 78.5 percent population, it is the 58th most Christian state in the world. Catholicism is the largest denomination and is followed by Protestantism.

On the right, the global share of Christians per state is displayed

Islam is represented by less than 0.01 percent of the population which makes Peru the 193rd most Islamic state in the world. The majority of Muslims that reside within Peru are adhering to the Sunni branch of Islam and mainly originate from Syria and Palestine.

Buddhism has been present in Peru since at the end of the 19th century when migrants from China, Korea and Japan started to migrate. Currently, Buddhism is represented by 0.2 percent of the population.

Hinduism has been introduced into Peru during the second half of the 20th century when migrants from India started to arrive. Today, Hindus represent 0.03 percent of the population.

Judaism arrived in Peru along with the Spanish conquest of the area. Today, Jews represent less than 0.01 percent of the population.

Other religions are represented by 0.87 percent of the population and mainly concerns indigenous people.

Irreligion has slowly started to increase in urban areas since the end of the 20th century. Today, irreligion represents 3.18 percent of the population.