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: 32,824,000 (2020E—World Bank); 31,914,989 (2020E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Center (2015E—UN): LIMA (metropolitan area, 9,897,000), Arequipa (850,000).

Official Languages: Spanish, Quechua.

Monetary Unit: New Sol (market rate September 30, 2020: 3.60 new sols = $1US).

President: Martin VIZCARRA Cornejo (Peruvians for Change); elevated from the vice presidency and sworn in on March 23, 2018, succeeding Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI (Peruvians for Change), who resigned on March 21.

First Vice President: (Vacant); following the elevation to the presidency of Martin VIZCARRA Cornejo (Peruvians ...