Peru, country in west central South America, bounded on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil

and Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Regions

Peru is divided into 25 regions and the province of Lima. Each region has an elected government composed of a president and a council, which serves for a four-year term.These governments plan regional development, execute public investment projects, promote economic activities, and manage public property. The province of Lima is administered by a city council.

Regions:

Amazonas Ayacucho Cajamarca Callao Cusco Huancavelica Hunuco Ica Junn La Libertad Lambayeque Loreto Apurmac

Madre de Dios Moquegua Pasco Puno Tacna Tumbes Piura Ancash Arequipa Piura San Martn Ucayali

Province: Lima

Geography

Most Peruvian rivers originate in the peaks of the Andes and drain into one of three basins. Those that drain toward the Pacific Ocean are steep and short, flowing only intermittently. Tributaries of the Amazon River are longer, have a much larger flow, and are less steep once they exit the sierra. Rivers that drain into Lake Titicaca are generally short and have a large flow.Peru's longest rivers are the Ucayali, the Maran, the Putumayo, the Yavar, the Huallaga, the Urubamba, the Mantaro, and the Amazon

Alpamayo, a mountain peak in the Huascarn National Park.

Man National Park, a biosphere reserve,

depicts the Peruvian rainforest.

Economy

Peru is a developing country with a marketoriented economy; its 2010 per capita income is estimated by the IMF at US$5,195 and it has a high Human Development Index score of 0.723 based on 2010 data.Historically, the country's economic performance has been tied to exports, which provide hard currency to finance imports and external debt payments.Although they have provided substantial revenue, self-sustained growth and a more egalitarian distribution of income have proven elusive.According to 2008 data 36.2% of its total population is poor, including 12.6% that is extremely poor.

Left: The seaport of Callao is the main outlet for Peruvian exports. Right: Buildings in the financial district of San Isidro, Lima.

Demographics

Peru is a multiethnic country formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Amerindians inhabited Peruvian territory for several millennia before Spanish Conquest in the 16th century; according to historian David N. Cook their population decreased from an estimated 59 million in the 1520s to around 600,000 in 1620 mainly because of infectious diseases.Spaniards and Africans arrived in large numbers under colonial rule, mixing widely with each other and with indigenous peoples. After independence, there has been a gradual European immigration from England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Chinese arrived in the 1850s as a replacement for slave workers and have since become a major influence in Peruvian society.Other immigrant groups include Arabs and Japanese.

Left: Afro-Peruvian association football athlete Jefferson Farfn. Centre: Andean man from Pisac in traditional dress. Right: Former Miss World model Mara Julia Mantilla.