| Area Total | 1,285,216 sqkm |
| Climate | varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes |
| Natural Resources | copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas |
| Imports | $38.65 billion (2017 est.)partners: China 22.3%, US 20.1%, Brazil 6%, Mexico 4.4% (2017) |
| Exports | $44.92 billion (2017 est.)partners: China 26.5%, US 15.2%, Switzerland 5.2%, South Korea 4.4%, Spain 4.1%, India 4.1% (2017) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Capital | Lima |
| Population | 31.3 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 60.2%, Amerindian 25.8%, white 5.9%, African descent 3.6%, other 1.2%, unspecified 3.3% (2017 est.) |
| Language | Spanish (official) 82.9%, Quechua (official) 13.6%, Aymara(official) 1.6%, Ashaninka0.3%, other languages 1.8% (2017 est.) |
News about Peru
- Peru’s safe haven for threatened species – in picturesby Ernesto Benavides / AFP / Getty Images on July 20, 2022
Endemic frogs of captivating beauty, mammals and wild birds are among the species to be found in Peru’s Cordillera Escalera conservation area, a protected highly biodiverse area between the Andes and the jungle in the east of the country Continue reading...
- How a parody song about Peru’s ex-president topped Spotify chartsby Dan Collyns in Lima on July 10, 2022
Bad Bunny, Real Madrid and Marvel have all made use of El Bebito Fiu Fiu, which mocks an alleged scandalA musical send-up of an embarrassing scandal involving a former Peruvian president unexpectedly reached first place in the Spotify Viral 50 ranking before it was withdrawn from the platform over a copyright violation.The song, known as El Bebito Fiu Fiu, […]
- Peru hails progress in Amazon war on drugs – so why is business booming?by Dan Collyns at the Valle Esmeralda base on July 6, 2022
In Vizcatán, the last redoubt of militarily active Maoist rebels Shining Path, the army is cracking down on cocaine traffickersSitting on a bluff overlooking the Tambo River, the Valle Esmeralda counter-terrorist base is only accessible by helicopter or a very long hike. It is strategically located to have a bird’s eye view of Vizcatán, the last redoubt […]
- Peruvian firefighters contain blaze near Machu Picchu after three daysby Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on July 1, 2022
Forest fire broke out on Tuesday and destroyed around 100 acres of land – the equivalent of about 50 football pitchesPeruvian authorities say firefighters have managed to control a forest fire near the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu after three days battling the flames.The blaze near one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites broke out on Tuesday, […]
- Wildfires rage close to Machu Picchu archaeological site – videoon July 1, 2022
A forest fire burning since Tuesday engulfed more than 20 hectares (49 acres) of grassland and the remains of the Peruvian Llamacancha archaeological site inside the Machu Picchu sanctuary. Footage shows forest brigades fighting the fire, which officials say has been difficult to control because of strong winds and the area's inaccessibility Peru wildfire […]
- Peru wildfire threatens Machu Picchu as remote location hampers efforts to control blazeby Reuters in Lima on June 30, 2022
Twenty hectares near Inca ruins affected in blaze started by farmers burning grass before sowing cropsPeruvian firefighters were fighting to contain a forest fire near the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu as the blaze threatened to close in on the ancient city in the Andean mountains on Thursday.The fire, which had engulfed an area about half the size of Vatican […]
- Inca-era tomb found during house renovations in Lima – videoon June 23, 2022
Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed human remains dating back to the Inca period. The discovery of the tomb, which included grave goods corresponding to the period, was made during the renovations of a residential property in the Peruvian capital Continue reading...
- Inca-era tomb unearthed beneath home in Peru’s capitalby Reuters in Lima on June 23, 2022
500-year old structure, found in working-class area of Lima, thought to contain remains of society elitesScientists have unearthed an Inca-era tomb under a home in the heart of Peru’s capital, Lima, a burial believed to hold remains wrapped in cloth alongside ceramics and fine ornaments.The lead archeologist, Julio Abanto, told Reuters the 500-year-old […]
- Police losing narco war in deadly Amazon region where duo disappearedby Tom Phillips in Puerto Amelia and Dan Collyns in Flor de Ucayali on June 16, 2022
A key police outpost lies in ruins after a daring raid – a sign of the growing danger on an increasingly lucrative smuggling routeIn the crime-infested tri-border region where Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira disappeared, rumours abound over what happened at Puerto Amelia in January this year.Were Brazilian drug traffickers responsible for burning the […]
- Australia v Peru: coaches react after Peru beaten in penalty shootout – videoon June 14, 2022
Australia qualified for a fifth straight World Cup after a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Peru. The teams had failed to score in regulation and extra time at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, sent on as a substitute in the dying seconds of extra time, proved to be the star for Australia by saving the last penalty from Alex Valera. […]
- Women behind the lens: a moment of tenderness in a violent worldby Daniela Rivera Antara on June 7, 2022
Adriana walked from Venezuela to Peru with her son, Mateo, a dangerous journey that ended in a daily fight for survival. She says all the risks she took were for her sonA few weeks after I returned to Peru in 2019, I read about the high numbers of femicides and sexual assaults that had occurred that year. The statistics didn’t include Venezuelan migrant […]
- From bricks to bags to eco art: six innovative uses for plastic waste around the worldby Tom Collins, Kavitha Yarlagadda, Gemma Holliani Cahya, Charles Pensulo, Dan Collyns and Peter Muiruri on June 3, 2022
From upcycled school benches in India to plant pots in Peru, people are finding enterprising and ingenious solutions to a perennial problemWhen it rains in Uganda, plastic waste clogs street drains. For Faith Aweko, growing up in a slum in Kampala, the capital city, heavy downpours meant water flooding into the family home at the side of the road.“During […]
- German judges visit Peru glacial lake in unprecedented climate crisis lawsuitby Dan Collyns at Lake Palcacocha on May 27, 2022
Rising greenhouse gases have caused Lake Palcacocha to swell in size which makes the area at risk for a devastating outburst floodIn a global first for climate breakdown litigation, judges from Germany have visited Peru to determine the level of damage caused by Europe’s largest emitter in a case that could set a precedent for legal claims over […]
- Madrid show explores graphic art’s role as tool of resistance in Latin Americaby Sam Jones in Madrid on May 17, 2022
Graphic Turn: Like the Ivy on a Wall at Reina Sofía looks at calls for social justice and responses to repression Forty-three kites bearing 43 black-and-white faces hang from the ceiling of the Reina Sofía, each one a mute appeal for answers, remembrance and justice.Close by, T-shirts and posters clamour for equality, a forest of placards commemorates the […]
- Peru’s leader and his wife investigated for allegedly plagiarizing master’s thesisby Associated Press in Lima on May 5, 2022
TV station finds 54% of document was apparently copied but Pedro Castillo calls accusations ‘malicious’Peruvian prosecutors are investigating President Pedro Castillo and his wife for alleged plagiarism after a local television station said an investigation showed the couple may have copied more than half the master’s thesis they […]
