|RNature and climate:|N There are three topographical regions.
A narrow coastal strip, 15 to 150 km wide, is dry with a percipitation of 50 mm. Average temperature about 25°C in January and between 15 and 20°C in July.
There are several deserts in this area, but most soil is fertile and extensively cultivated in irrigated areas.
East of the coastal strip is the Andes Mountains in two ranges, the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Occidental. Highest peak, Huascaran, reaches 6768 m.a.s.l. There are several still active volcanoes in these mountains and earthquakes occur frequently.
Percipitation less than 1000 mm on the west side of the mountains and between 2000 and 3000 mm on the eastern slopes. Average temperature between 10 and 20°C throughout the year, with great differences between days and nights.
East of the Andes are forested plains sloping to the Amazon basin, with dense rainforests. Percipitation between 2000 and 3000 mm. Average temperature 26°C throughout the year.
On the border to Bolivia is Lake Titicaca, the world's highest located lake with commercial shipping, at 3 812 m.a.s.l.
|RPeople:|N 45% Indians, 37% Mestizos, 15% Caucasians and small minorities of blacks and Asians.
In the inaccessible eastern rainforests several Indian tribes still live their traditional lives.
|REconomy:|N 44% of the labour force is occupied in government and other services, 37% in agriculture and 19% in industry.
Most important crops are grain, sugarbeets, oilseeds, potatoes and cotton.
Extensive stockraising in the mountainous areas.
Forestry gives rosewood, mahogany, cedar, cautchuck and chicle.
Fishing in the Pacific is extensive and Peru is the the world's largest producer of fish meal. On the small Islas de Chincha are vast resources of guano.
Peru have many minerals such as copper, silver, gold, oil, natural gas, lead, zinc and iron and the country is one the world's largest producers of copper, zinc, lead and silver.
Manufacturing has been developed since the 1960:s. Textiles and food dominates and in the last decades medicine, chemical and metal processing have been developed as well as iron and steel works.
|RHistory:|N At about 2500 BC several cultures developed by the Peruan coast. These cultures developed architecture and several ruins of complicated temples from about 2000 BC have been found. By AD these cultures used metals and were skilled goldsmiths and weavers.
The area was first united in the Huari state that flourished from 600 to 1000 AD. This country was succeeded by the Chimu realm, 1000 to 1400 and the whole area was conquered by the Incas in 1438.
The Inca civilization was advanced in many ways, such as architecture, engineering, textiles and social organization. They conquered Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and vast areas of Colombia, Chile and Argentina. In the early 16th century plague and civil war weakened the Inca country.
Francisco Pizarro was the first European to visit the area in the 1520:s. He returned with a small army in 1532 and in 1533 he seized the ruling Inca Atahualpa, who was treacherously executed and the natives were enslaved.
European deceases, smallpox and measles, devastated the Indian population. Peruan capital Lima was founded in 1535 and became the centre for Spanish conquests. In the whole western and north South America and in 1551 the first South American university was founded there. The viceroyalty of Peru was founded in 1544 and ruled the area nearly three decades.
In the early 1820:s the struggle for liberation started and was completed under the leadership of Simon Bolivar in 1824 when the independent republic Peru was recognized.
The first 40 years of independence were marked by political unrest and frequent changes of presidents, 35 presidents in 40 years.
In 1829 Peru tried but failed to annex Ecuador and in 1879 to 1883 the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru left Peru with a huge debt and loss of the province of Tarpaca rich of saltpetre.
In a period of civilian leadership 1895 to 1930 Peru succeeded to develop economy with help of foreign investments. In 1924 a leftist American Popular Revolutionary Alliance, APRA, was founded. This party grew in popularity and was fraudently deprived the victory of the presidential elections in 1931. The party still played an important role in political until it in 1985 was allowed to take power.
From 1930 to 1980 military officers usually held the presidential office.
In the 1980:s a Maoist group, Sendero Luminoso, harassed the nation and paralyzed the central government, costing the lives of more than 25 000 persons.
In 1992 the president dissolved the parliament and imposed martial law. After a few months the police captured the founder and leader of Sendero Luminosa, and the guerilla group was weakened.
