República del Perú

Political Status: Independent republic proclaimed 1821; military rule imposed on October 3, 1968; constitutional government restored on July 28, 1980; national emergency declared in wake of army-backed “presidential coup” on April 5, 1992; present constitution effective from December 29, 1993.

Area: 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,216 sq. km).

Population: 30,086,277 (2012E—UN); 29,549,517 (2012E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Center (2005E): LIMA (metropolitan area, 8,550,000).

Official Languages: Spanish, Quechua.

Monetary Unit: New Sol (market rate November 5, 2012: 2.61 new sols = $1US).

President: Ollanta Moisés HUMALA Tasso (Peruvian Nationalist Party); elected in runoff balloting on June 5, 2011, and sworn in on July 28, to succeed Alan GARCÍA Perez (Peruvian Aprista Party).

First Vice President: Marisol ESPINOZA (Peruvian Nationalist Party); elected on June 5, 2011, and sworn in on July 28 ...