What Is Peru?
Peru is a South American country that has dated back thousands of years since the time of ancient civilizations. From the early ages of the Inca Empire to its independence from the Spanish Crown in the 1800's, Peru has developed through much political and economical growth in becoming the independent and self-sufficient country it is known as today. Comprised of stunning landscapes, numerous historical sites, diverse wildlife, and a beautiful mix of Hispanic and Native American culture, life in Peru is full of color and adventure.
Geography
Peru is located on the west coast of South America, bordering Ecuador and Columbia to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Chile to the south, and Brazil and Bolivia to the east. The country is made up of 1,285,216 kilometers squared of terrain, making it the third largest country in South America and the 20th largest country in the world. Due to its location, Peru is filled with a variety of different climates and geographical environments such as portions of the Amazon rainforest, the highlands of the West Andes, and a band of coastal deserts and beaches. These all provide the country with a diverse range of living conditions and lifestyles for both its citizens and visitors.
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Population
Peru has a population of estimated 31,036,656 people as of July 2017. This makes Peru the 43rd most populated country in the world. In Peru, "approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated" (The World Factbook, 2018).
Among the Peruvian population, about 47 percent of people identify as Quechua/Amerindian, 31.9 percent Mestizo, 12 percent white, 5.4 percent Aymara, 0.5 percent Japanese, and 3.2 percent other. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "There was a sharp decline in death rates in the period between 1940 and 1970, while, at the same time, birth rates remained very high. Growth rates peaked in the 1970s at more than 3 percent; since then, the spread of birth control (notwithstanding widespread opposition by the Peruvian Roman Catholic hierarchy) and the desire of urban dwellers for smaller families have slowed the rate of population growth" (Davies et al., 2018). |
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Politics
After numerous military coups and constitutional amendments, Peru's government is now comprised of a president elected by popular vote who serves as the chief of state and head of government for a five-year term with one renewal. In addition to the president, there are two vice presidents and a council of ministers headed by a prime minister, all who are elected by popular vote for a five-year term as well. Peru's 66th and current president is Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who was elected in 2016 and promises to "overhaul the police force and judiciary, increase the minimum wage, reduce procedural steps in conducting formal business, implement tax breaks for small businesses and reduce the national sales tax from 18% to 15%" (Peru Reports, 2018).
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Education
An academic year in Peru starts in March and ends in November or December. This is because Peru's location is in the southern hemisphere of the globe; therefore, Peru's autumns begin in March and their summer breaks begin in December. Peruvian schools also have a winter holiday that takes place in July, but the dates of the holidays vary depending on the region of each school. The instructional language in these schools is Spanish, with the exception of some regional schools that utilize Quechua and Aymara, and make Spanish a secondary language.
As of 1966, "the government of Peru passed education reforms that extended free and compulsory school education to all students aged between 5 and 16, known as educación básica (general stream) y técnico productiva (technical)" (Clark, 2015). However, only a quarter of the students given the free schooling move on to the secondary component of the education process. This small amount is significantly prominent in the highland areas of the Peruvian Andes. This may be due to the fact that Peru is still a developing country and younger generations may still have an expectancy to uphold traditions and cultures that remain unindustrialized to this day and thus, do not need a secondary form of education.
Languages
Although the majority of Peru is dominated by Spanish speakers, this multilingual country is filled with other forms of language made official by Peru's constitution such as the native languages Quechua and Aymara, which date back to Peruvian times before the Spanish Conquest and are still significantly spoken to this day. Other internationally known languages such as English, German, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese may not be considered official or widely known by the population; however, speakers if these languages can still be found in urban districts and popular tourist sites due to Peru's rising reputation in tourism.
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(Lifey Missions, 2014)
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Religion
(Inca Gods, 2018)
Back in ancient times, Peru had a belief system incorporating polytheistic and pantheistic religions. The Peruvians worshipped gods such as Viracocha, the creator of the world and father of men, and Pachamama, the Earth Mother, and natural entities such as the Sun, Moon, lightning and mountains.
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(Fernandes, 2018)
As a result of the Spanish conquest during the Inca Empire, new religious traditions were brought to Peru, more specifically the spread of Roman Catholicism. Hundreds of churches were thus built and numerous festivities celebrating saints were held in each village.
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(Britannica, 2018)
Today, about 81.3 percent of Peru's religiously affiliated population identifies as Roman Catholic, 12.5 percent Protestant/Evangelical, 2.9 percent nonreligious, and 3.3 percent other, which includes smaller religions such as pagan ones and Catholic-Indian mixed rituals.
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How cool is Peru?
Here are some fun travel videos that help show Peru's beautiful landscape and lifestyle.
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(Beautiful Destinations, 2017)
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(Hand Luggage Only, 2017)
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Created by
Tran, Winter 2018
Tran, Winter 2018