Conventional long form: Republic of Perú

Conventional short form: Perú

Local long form: República del Perú

Local short form: Perú

Constitutional republic

Capital:

Lima

Administrative divisions:

24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento).

1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional).

Amazonas - Ancash - Apurímac - Arequipa - Ayacucho - Cajamarca - Callao* - Cusco - Huancavelica Huánuco - Ica - Junín - La Libertad - Lambayeque - Lima - Loreto - Madre de Dios - Moquegua - Pasco - Piura - Puno - San Martín - Tacna - Tumbes - Ucayali.

Note: the 1979 constitution mandated the creation of regions to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 of the 24 departments.

Amazonas: (from Loreto).

Andrés Avelino Cáceres: (from Huánuco - Pasco, Junín).

Arequipa: (from Arequipa).

Chavín: (from Ancash).

Grau: (from Tumbes, Piura).

Inca: (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurímac).

La Libertad: (from La Libertad).

Los Libertadores-Huari: (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica).

Mariátegui: (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno).

Nor Oriental del Marañón: (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas).

San Martín: (from San Martín).

Ucayali: (from Ucayali).

Independence:

28 July 1821 (from Spain).

National holiday:

Independence Day, 28 July (1821).

Constitution:

31 December 1993.

Legal system:

Based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

Suffrage:

Universal over 18 years of age and compulsory until age 70.  The members of the military may not vote.

The president is elected for a 5 year term. The 1993 Constitution permit re-election.

Executive branch:

President, two Vice Presidents, and a Council of Ministers.

Chief of state and head of government: President Alejandro TOLEDO (since 28 July 2001).

The president is both the chief of state and head of government; additionally two vice presidents are provided for by the Constitution.

First Vice President, Raúl DIEZ Conseco (since 28 July 2001).

Second Vice President David, WAISMAN (since 28 July 2001).

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president.

Prime Minister Roberto, DAÑINO (since 28 July 2001) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president.

Legislative branch:

Unicameral Democratic Constituent Congress or Congreso Constituyente Democrático (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).

Elections: Last held 8 April 2001.

Election results:

Percent of vote by party:

Perú 2000 42.16%

Perú Posible 23.34%

FIM 7.56%

Somos Perú 7.2%

APRA 5.5%

Others 14.24%.

Seats by party:

Perú 2000 52

Perú Posible 29

FIM 9

Others 30

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary). Lower courts and the Tribunal of Constitutional Guarantees.

Political parties and leaders:

–Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana = American Popular Revolutionary

  Alliance or APRA (Alan GARCIA)

–Renacimiento Andino = Andean Rebirth (Ciro GALVEZ Herrera)

–Keep Going = Avancemos (leader NA])

–Causa Democrática = Democratic Cause (Jorge SANTISTEVAN)

–Frente Independiente Moralizador = Independent Moralizing Front or FIM (Fernando –OLIVERA Vega)

–Solidaridad Nacional = National Solidarity or SN (Luis CASTAÑEDA Lossio)

–Unidad Nacional = National Unity (Lourdes FLORES Nano)

–Perú 2000 = Perú 2000 (leader NA)

–Perú Posible = Perú Possible or PP (Alejandro TOLEDO Manriquez)

–Acción Popular = Popular Action or AP (leader NA)

–Frente Nacional de Trabajadores Agrarios = Popular Agrarian Front of Perú or

  Frepap (leader NA)

–Solución Popular = Popular Solution (Carlos BOLOÑA Behr)

–Proyecto Nacional = Project Country (Mario Antonio ARRUNATEGUI)

–Somos Perú = We are Perú or SP (Alberto ANDRADE)

–Unión por el Perú = Union for Perú or UPP (leader NA)

–Let’s go neighbors = Vamos Vecinos or VV (Absalón VASQUEZ)

Leftist guerrilla groups include:

–Shining Path: Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top

  leader at-large).

–Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA: Víctor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo

  AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large).

ABEDA, APEC, CAN, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Chief of mission: Ambassador John R. HAMILTON

Embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33

Mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000

Telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000

FAX: [51] (1) 434-3037

Three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath.

Government's Palace - Lima -  Perú