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| National motto: Libertad y Orden (Spanish; "Liberty and Order") | ||||
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| Official language | Spanish | |||
| Capital | Lima | |||
| President | Alejandro Toledo Manrique | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 19th 1,285,220 km² 8.8% | |||
| Population - Total (2002) - Density | Ranked 39th 27,949,639 22/km² | |||
| Independence
- Date | From Spain
July 28, 1822 | |||
| Currency | Sol | |||
| Time zone | UTC -5 | |||
| National anthem | Somos libres, seámoslo siempre (We Are Free, Let Us Remain So Forever) | |||
| Internet TLD | .PE | |||
| Calling Code | 51 | |||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politics 3 Departments 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 International rankings 9 Miscellaneous topics |
Before the Spanish arrived, Peru was home to the Incan Empire. This was conquered by the 1840s and Peru became a Viceroyalty and a major source of gold and silver for the Spanish Empire. Peru declared independence from Spain on July 28, 1821.
The current president is Alejandro Toledo, leader of Perú Posible. This governing party is, with 45 seats, the largest in the 120-seat parliament.
The second and third largest parties are in opposition; respectively Partido Aprista Peruano (short: Apra, 28 seats) and Lourdes Flores Nano led Unidad Nacional (17 seats).
Peru is divided into 24 departments and one constitutional province, Callao. The departments are
Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca,Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, and Ucayali.
Main article: Geography of Peru
Peru is located in Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador. It also shares borders with Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia.
The western coastal plains (costa) are seperated from the eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) by the high and rugged Andes in center (sierra). On the border with Bolivia lies Lake Titicaca, the worlds highest navigable lake at 3821 [Metre|m].
History
Main article: History of PeruPolitics
Main article: Politics of PeruDepartments
Main article: Departments of PeruGeography
Economy
Main article: Economy of Peru
| Date | English | Local name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Año Nuevo | |
| March-April | Holy Week | Semana Santa | Two days, working holiday |
| May 1 | May Day, Labour Day | Día del Trabajo | |
| July 28 | Saint Peter and Saint Paul | San Pedro y San Pablo | |
| July 28-July 29 | Peruvian Independence Day | Día de la Independencia del Perú | |
| August 30 | Saint Rose of Lima | Santa Rosa de Lima | |
| October 8 | Battle of Angamos | Combate de Angamos | |
| November 1 | All Saints Day | Día de Todos Los Santos | |
| December 8 | Day of the Immaculate Conception | Día de la Inmaculada Concepción | |
| December 25 | Christmas | Navidad |
simple:Peru
