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PERU
The Republic of Perú (Spanish: Perú; Quechua:
Piruw) is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and
Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east
and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
History
Before the Spanish arrived, Peru was home to various Pre-Inca cultures
and later, to the Inca Empire. Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian
coast in 1532, and by the end of the 1530s Peru became a Viceroyalty and
a major source of gold and silver for the Spanish Empire. Peru declared
its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821.
Politics
The current president is Alejandro Toledo, leader of Perú Posible. This
governing party is, with 45 seats, the largest in the 120-seat
parliament.
The second and third largest parties are in opposition; respectively
Partido Aprista Peruano (short: Apra, 28 seats) and Unidad Nacional (17
seats), which is led by Lourdes Flores Nano.
Regions
Peru's territory, under Law No. 27867 of 16 November 2002, is divided in
26 regions:
Amazonas, Ancash, Apurímac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, El
Callao, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque,
Metropolitana de Lima, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco,
Piura, San Martín, Puno, Tacna, Tumbes, and Ucayali.
Geography
Peru is located in Western South America, bordering the South Pacific
Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador. It also shares borders with Colombia,
Brazil and Bolivia.
The western coastal plains (costa) are separated from the eastern
lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) by the high and rugged Andes in
center (sierra). On the border with Bolivia lies Lake Titicaca, the
worlds highest navigable lake at 3821 m.
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