Long-form name: Republic of Peru

Type: republic

Capital: Lima

Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note--the 1979 Constitution and legislation enacted from 1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions (regiones, singular--region) intended to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 existing departments--Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali); formation of another region has been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to merge with the department of Lima; because of inadequate funding from the central government, the regions have yet to assume their reponsibilities and at the moment co-exist with the departmental structure

Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)

Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because the Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature

Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Leaders: Chief of State--President Alberto FUJIMORI (since 28 July 1990); Vice President Maximo SAN ROMAN (since 28 July 1990); Vice President Carlos GARCIA (since 28 July 1990); Head of Government--Prime Minister Carlos TORRES Y TORRES Lara (since 15 February 1991)

Political parties and leaders: Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI; Democratic Front (FREDEMO), a loosely organized three-party coalition--Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes; Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando BELAUNDE Terry; and Liberty Movement; American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Luis ALVA Castro; National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACERES; United Left (IU), run by committee; Socialist Left (IS), Enrique BERNALES

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President--last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%; Senate--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total) FREDEMO 20, APRA 16, Change 90 14, IU 6, IS 3, FRENATRACA 1; Chamber of Deputies--last held 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(180 total) FREDEMO 62, APRA 53, Change 90 32, IU 16, IS 4, FRENATRACA 3, other 10

Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other minor Communist parties

Other political or pressure groups: leftist guerrilla groups--Shining Path, leader Abimael GUZMAN; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor CERPA and Victor POLLAY

Member of: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roberto G. MACLEAN; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US--Ambassador Anthony C.E. QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 100, or APO Miami 34031); telephone [51] (14) 338-000

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Peru on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Peru Government 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Peru Government 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.