Name
The name Peru may derive from the Guarani word "biru," meaning "river".
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Peru
12.98° S, 72.90° W
Mean elevation of 1,555 m — the 14th highest of 168 countries.
mean elevation 1,555 m · 14th/168
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 32,510,453
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 1,285,216 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 1,291,026 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 25 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- PE · PER
- GDP (nominal)
- $289.22 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $15,700
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Peru 1,285,216 km²Nigeria 923,768 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Peru sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Median age30.4 years134th of 224 · median 32.6 years
- Life expectancy68.9 years182nd of 224 · median 76.2 years
- Fertility rate2.12 children per woman91st of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population32,510,45343rd of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area1,285,216 km²21st of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline2,414 km52nd of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Background
Ancient Peru was the seat of prominent Andean civilizations, including the Incas, whose empire Spanish conquistadors captured in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency followed. Alberto Fujimori's election in 1990 brought economic turnaround and progress curtailing guerrilla activity, but dissatisfaction over later economic and authoritarian problems led to his resignation in 2000.
The 2001 election installed Alejandro Toledo Manrique as Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. Alan Garcia Perez returned in 2006, followed by Ollanta Humala Tasso in 2011. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard won a narrow runoff in 2016 but offered his resignation in 2018 after a vote-buying scandal. Martin Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo became president, dissolved Congress in 2019 over anticorruption reforms, and was impeached and removed after 2020 elections. Manuel Merino became president after Vizcarra's removal, but protests forced his resignation later in 2020; Francisco Sagasti then assumed the presidency. Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones won in 2021 but was impeached and ousted the following year, when Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency by constitutional succession.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Geography
Between Chile and Ecuador, Peru borders the South Pacific Ocean in western South America. From the coast inland, the western coastal plain, or costa, gives way to the high and rugged Andes, or sierra. Eastward, the land descends to the lowland jungle of the Amazon Basin, or selva.
Peru shares control of Lago Titicaca with Bolivia; it is the world's highest navigable lake. A remote slope of Nevado Mismi is the ultimate source of the Amazon River. Peru lies along the Ring of Fire, a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains volcanoes and earthquakes. Its natural resources include copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, and natural gas.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Climate
From tropical conditions in the east to dry desert in the west, Peru's climate varies from temperate to frigid in the Andes.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
People and society
Peru's people include Mestizo, meaning people of mixed Indigenous and White descent, Indigenous, White, African descent, and people of other backgrounds, including Chinese and Japanese descent. Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara are official languages; Ashaninka and other native languages, including many minor Amazonian languages, are also spoken. Religious affiliations include Catholic, Evangelical Christian, no religion, and other religions.
People live along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima. The Andean highlands, or sierra, contain residents, while the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjoining rainforest are sparsely populated.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Flag and symbols
Three equal vertical bands—red at the left, white in the center, and red at the right—form the flag. The coat of arms is centered on the white band and has a shield with a vicuna, a cinchona tree, and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins. The vicuna represents fauna, the cinchona tree is the source of quinine, and the cornucopia symbolizes mineral wealth. Red stands for blood shed for independence, and white for peace. The vicuna, a camelid related to the llama, is a national symbol.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
Economy
- GDP (nominal)
- $289.22 billion
- Field “Economy → GDP (official exchange rate)” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP (PPP)
- $535.91 billion
- Field “Economy → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) → Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP per capita (PPP)
- $15,700
- Field “Economy → Real GDP per capita → Real GDP per capita 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- GDP growth
- +3.3%
- Field “Economy → Real GDP growth rate → Real GDP growth rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Inflation (consumer prices)
- 2%
- Field “Economy → Inflation rate (consumer prices) → Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Unemployment
- 4.9%
- Field “Economy → Unemployment rate → Unemployment rate 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Exports
- $83.33 billion
- Field “Economy → Exports → Exports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Imports
- $67.16 billion
- Field “Economy → Imports → Imports 2024” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
People
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years
- Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Median age
- 30.4 years
- Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Birth rate
- 16.43 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 9.79 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 2.12 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- +0.55% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Urban population
- 78.9%
- Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Literacy
- 93.7%
- Field “People and Society → Literacy → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- Spanishofficial82.9%
- Quechuaofficial13.6%
- Aymaraofficial1.6%
- Ashaninka0.3%
- others0.7%
- Field “People and Society → Languages → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Religions
- Catholic76%
- Evangelical Christian15.7%
- no religion5.1%
- other3.2%
- Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 1,285,216 km²Land 1,279,996 km² · Water 5,220 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 2,414 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 7,062 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Mean elevation
- 1,555 m
- Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 6,746 m Nevado Huascaran
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Natural geography 8
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID
Oceans 1
Gulfs 1
Lakes 1
Mountain ranges 4
Plateaus 1
Largest cities 37
Population · Natural Earth