Peru

Peru Country Facts At-a-Glance

Geography: Located in South America, Peru is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the north, Chile to the south, and Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia to the east. Peru’s geography includes one of the driest deserts in the world, the rugged Andes Mountains, and the dense jungle of the Amazon Rainforest.

Capital City: Lima

Population: 33.7 million (2023 est.)

Languages: Spanish 82.6%, Quechua 13.9%, Aymara 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 1.5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Evangelical 14.6%, other 3.3%, unspecified or none 22.1% (2020 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Amerindian 26%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 60%, white 6%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 8%

Life Expectancy: 77 years

Literacy Rate: 94.5% (2023 est.)

Government: Constitutional republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until age 70

Current Head of State: President Dina Boluarte (since December 7, 2022). The President is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and is eligible for non-consecutive re-election.

Independence: July 28, 1821 (from Spain)

Currency: Peruvian sol (PEN)

GDP per Capita: $14,000 USD (2023 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (2023 est.)

GDP – Composition by Sector:

• Agriculture 7.4% – coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, a variety of fruits, medicinal plants, palm oil, wheat, poultry, beef, pork, dairy products, guinea pigs, fish
• Industry 34.1% – mining and refining of minerals, petroleum extraction and refining, fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing
• Services 58.5% – information technology services, software, tourism, finance, telecommunications

Source: CIA World Factbook

Peru Country Basics

Peru is almost twice the size of the U.S. state of Texas with a population of nearly 34-million people. It’s bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the north, Chile to the south, and Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia to the east. Peru has many climates including desert, mountain and tropical, which enables the nation to have a high level of biodiversity.

In addition, the country has a large number of indigenous people. Overall, about 45% of Peru’s population are members of groups like the Quechua.

Brief History of Peru

Peru is most famous for being home to the Incan Empire, the largest pre-Colombian civilization in the Americas. However, hundreds of Pre-Incan cultures populated Peru long before the Incan empire and contributed to their many world renowned achievements.

The Incan Empire prospered until 1532 when it was attacked by Francisco Pizarro and his army of Spanish conquistadores. Battles between the Incas and the Spanish lasted until the establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru in the 1570s.

After decades of Spanish rule, Peru declared independence in 1821. Led by the famous liberator, Simon Bolivar, successfully defeated the Spanish forces by 1824. For over a century, Peru shifted between military dictatorships and democratically elected governments and suffered from severe inflation and economic stagnation.

In the early 1990s, economic collapse combined with growing social discontent fueled the emergence of insurgent movements for Marxist reform. Alberto Fujimori, the president of Peru, retaliated against these violent uprisings with a strong hand and was able to defeat the rebel groups before the end of the decade.

In June 2011, former military commander Ollanta Humala was elected president, defeating Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Alberto Fujimori. Since his election, Humala has carried on the market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.

Language

Peru has three official languages. Spanish is the most widely used and is spoken by about 83% of the population. The native language of Quechua is spoken by nearly 14% and Aymara is  spoken by less than 2%. In addition, there are dozens of other indigenous languages, particularly in the Amazon regions.

Before traveling to the country, it’s helpful to have some Spanish phrases ready to go. Here are a few words and phrases that may help:

Greetings:

• Hello / Hola
• How are you? / ¿Cómo estás?
• Good / Bien
• Good morning / Buenos días
• Good afternoon / Buenas tardes
• Good night / Buenas noches
• Welcome / Bienvenido
• Goodbye / Adiós

Etiquette:

• Please / Por favor
• Thank you / Gracias
• Excuse me / Perdón
• Sorry / Lo siento (perdón)

Pronouns:

• I / Yo
• You / Tú
• He/she / Él/ella
• We / Nosotros
• You (plural) / Ustedes
• They / Ellos/ellas

Conversational:

• What is your name? / ¿Cómo te llamas?
  • My name is ___. / Me llamo ___.
• Where are you from? / ¿De dónde eres?
  • I am from ___. / Yo soy de ___.
• How old are you? / ¿Cuántos años tienes?
  • I am ___ years old. / Tengo ___ años.
• Do you speak English? / ¿Hablas inglés?
  • I speak a little Spanish. / Hablo un poco de español.
• Could you repeat that please? / Repite por favor.
• How do you say ___ in Spanish? / ¿Cómo se dice ___ en español?
• I don’t understand. / No entiendo.
• I want to go to ___. / Yo quiero ir a ___.
• Where is ___? / ¿Dónde está ___?
• I would like ___. / Yo quisiera ___.
• How much is it? / ¿Cuánto vale ___?

Present Tense:

• To want / Querer
  • I want / Yo quiero
  • You want / Tú quieres
  • He/she wants / Él/ella quiere
  • You (plural) want / Ustedes quieren
  • They want / Ellos/ellas quieren
  • We want / Nosotros queremos

Feelings:

• I am ___. / Estoy ___.
  • angry / Estoy enojado.
  • happy / Estoy feliz.
  • sad / Estoy triste.
  • cold / Tengo frío.
  • hot / Tengo calor.
  • sleepy / Tengo sueño.
  • hungry / Tengo hambre.
  • thirsty / Tengo sed.

*Use the verb tener (to have) instead of estar (to be)

Quechua Phrases

Here are some Quechua phrases that may come in handy while interacting with local indigenous people.

• Good morning: Allin p’unchay
• Good afternoon: Allin sukha
• Good night: Allin tuta
• Goodbye: Tupananchiskama
• How are you? ¿Allillanchu?
• Thank you: Solpayki

Currency

The official currency of Peru is the nuevo sol (S/). It’s divided into 100 céntimos. One U.S. dollar will get you about 3.75 Peruvian nuevo soles. With that exchange rate, you may benefit from using an exchange calculator for quick calculations.

In the country, paper bills have denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 or 200 soles, though it’s better to carry the smaller denominations. Coins come in values of 1, 2 and 5 soles, along with 10, 20 and 50 céntimos. Like a number of other countries in the Americas, U.S. dollars are accepted at a number of places.

Counterfeiting is a large problem in Peru. Therefore, you may need to study the currency appearance so you could possibly spot fake money. There also are scams such as short changing, which is one of the reasons you’ll want to use smaller denominations.

Haggling is also common in Peru. Prices for tourists can be inflated, so that is when negotiating can come into play. However, it’s also good not to take it too far and to respect artisans by giving them a fair price.

Food & Drink

The potato, tomato and avocado are all native to the Andes region. Peru has over 3,000 different types of potato. More than 50 varieties of corn are also grown in the country, including one with the largest kernels of any type.

Not surprisingly because of the abundance of these crops, corn and potatoes are staples in Peruvian food, along with chili peppers. These peppers are used in Peru’s national dish  – ceviche. It consists of fresh raw fish in citrus juice spiced with the chili peppers, onion, salt and coriander.

Guinea pigs, called cuy, are considered a delicacy in Andean culture. During special occasions and celebrations, it’s roasted whole and served on a special plate called a merienda.

In many restaurants you may see large bottles of Inca Cola. It’s a bright yellow soda that some foreigners find to be too sweet, tasting like a mixture of bubblegum and cream soda.

Weather

The weather across Peru varies greatly depending on which climate zone you are in. Keep in mind that June-August are winter months in the Southern Hemisphere. However, temperatures are relatively warm and dry during the day in the Sacred Valley from June-August. Here are the average weather conditions you may expect around Machu Picchu.

Incan & Indigenous Influences 

Peru is most famous for being home to the Incan Empire, the largest pre-Columbian civilization in the Americas. However, hundreds of pre-Incan cultures populated Peru long before the Incan Empire and contributed to their many world renowned achievements. Travelers get a taste of these cultures while traveling through the country.

Among the things you may see are statues of the ninth king of the Incan Empire, Inca Pachacuti. He’s credited with the construction of Machu Picchu and the unification of the four regions of the Incan Empire.

You’ll also get a taste of local art and indigenous clothing. While in Cusco and other areas near Machu Picchu, indigenous villagers may be seen weaving textiles and wearing bright clothing.

The Incas gave a lot of weight to colors that were made from plants, insects and other elements in the environment. Among the colors of significance was red that was associated with conquering and ruling. Also, purple was associated with the founding mother of the Inca people.

Other highlights in Peru include the architecture and ancient Incan trails. Among the challenges you may see are issues related to land rights and poverty.

Indigenous people in both Ecuador and Peru have struggled with copper mining and other similar extraction activities, often led by foreign corporations. They are fighting to keep the mining off their lands. However, they’ve faced an uphill battle since elements like copper are used for electrical wiring in products like computers, appliances, and electric cars and is a profitable venture.

Religion

A mixture of religions are practiced in Peru. About 76-percent of the population are Roman Catholic.14-percent are Protestant, mainly Evangelical. Five percent are nonreligious and five percent are other faiths.

Ethnic Groups

Peru also has a mixture of ethnicities. About 60% are Mestizo, which is a mixture of Amerindian and White. 25% are Amerindian. Nearly 6% are white and 3.6% are African descent, while the rest are other ethnicities.

Cultural Expectations

In Peru if a local person invites you into their home for a meal, it’s a welcoming gesture. Saying no to food is considered impolite in rural villages. In these situations and others, here are a few social norms to follow:

• Always try to finish your food or share with those around you.
• Respect people’s privacy by not taking their picture without asking first
• Greet passersbys with a friendly buenos días
• Be respectful
• Dress conservatively. For community service, we recommend long sleeve shirts, long pants and closed toed shoes.

On a general note, in Peru local villagers may want to get close to you. South America is one continent where less personal space is the norm.

Cultural Icon in Peru:
Inca Pachacuti was the ninth king of the Incan Empire and is known as “The Mover of Earth.” Pachacuti is credited with the construction of the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the unification of the Tahuantinsuyo (four regions of the Incan Empire). Today Machu Picchu is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is a homage to the revered Incan King. Pachacuti serves as a national symbol of strength and is honored with statues all over the country.

Other Facts About Peru

• Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake. Peru shares control of the lake with Bolivia.
• El Peruano is the oldest newspaper in South America. It was founded by Simon Bolivar on October 22, 1825.
• Peru was the last Spanish colony in South America to gain independence, which was in 1821.
• The geography and climate of Peru varies greatly. There are over 25 distinct climates in the country.
• Cerro Blanco, located in the Sechura Desert, is the world’s highest sand dune. From base to summit it measures 3,860 feet.
• The potato, the tomato, and the avocado are all native to Peru. Peru has over 3,000 different types of potato.
• Peru grows more than 50 varieties of corn, including one with the largest kernels of any type.
• Caral is believed to have been built between 2627 and 2000 B.C., making it the oldest city in the Americas and one of the oldest cities in the world.
• The Andean highlands cover about two-thirds of the country. Most inhabitants of the highlands speak Quechua
• The Incan Empire prospered until 1532 when it was attacked by Spanish conquistadors.
• The Spanish built on top of the Incan buildings, making for interesting architecture. Many buildings have Incan structures on the bottom and Spanish ones on the upper levels.
• Peru was the last Spanish colony in South America to gain independence, which was in 1821. Simon Bolivar is recognized as Peru’s famous liberator.
• The Amazon River begins in Peru.
• Three-quarters of the world’s alpaca population live in Peru, numbering about 7.5 million alpacas.
• The Andean Condor that lives in Peru is the largest flying bird on earth. It has a wingspan of up 10.5 feet, can stand nearly four feet tall and weigh more than 30 pounds.
• There are pink river dolphins that swim in the Amazon River.
• It’s estimated that more than three million species live in the Amazon rainforest.
• Historians believe the origins of surfing began in Peru. For about 4,000 years, fishermen used a woven reed watercraft that they would stand, kneel or sit on to get back to shore after laying fishing nets. Some uncovered Inca artwork from the time period features depictions of wave riding.