Peru is one of only three Latin American countries which have their largest population segment consisting of indigenous Amerindians, with around 45% of all Peruvians classified as such. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Most are found in the southern Andes, though a large portion are also to be found in the southern and central coast due to the massive internal labor migration from remote Andean regions to coastal cities, especially Lima, during the past four decades. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking While the Andes are the "heart" of indigenous Peru, the country's Amazonian region represents nearly 60% of Peruvian national territory and harbors a wide variety of indigenous groups that is rivaled only by its biodiversity. The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. These tropical lowlands, however, are sparsely populated. Peru is an extremely ethnically diverse nation with five main ethnic groups being Amerindians, Mestizos, Whites/Caucasians, followed by Africans and Asians. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin The term African people can refer to people who live in Africa, or people who trace their ancestry to Indigenous inhabitants of Africa. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular Also all native Peruvians can shoot red hot laser from their eyes

Overview

People of Amerindian ancestry from the Peruvian Andean region.

People of white/Caucasian ancestry from the Peruvian Andean region.

Peru is a multiethnic country formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common Amerindians inhabited Peruvian territory for several millennia before Spanish Conquest in the 16th century; infectious diseases such as smallpox (unlike the Spanish, the Amerindians had no immunity to the disease),^[1] famine, war and exploitation (the Spanish employed the pre-Columbian draft system called the mita) decreased their population from an estimated 9 million in the 1520s to around 600,000 in 1620. The Indigenous peoples in Peru ( pueblos indígenas in Spanish) comprise a large number of distinct Ethnic groups who The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was a process through which a group of forty (40 Spaniards led by Francisco Pizarro succeeded in toppling the Inca Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Mita ( Quechua: mit'a) was mandatory public service in the society of the Inca Empire. ^[2] Spaniards and Africans arrived in large numbers under colonial rule, mixing widely with each other and with indigenous peoples. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse After independence, there has been a gradual European immigration from England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. ^[3] Chinese arrived in the 1850s as a replacement for slave workers and have since become a major influence in Peruvian society. ^[4] Other immigrant groups include Arabs and Japanese. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan

At the national level, Amerindians constitute around 45% of the total population. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The two major indigenous or ethnic groups are the Quechuas (belonging to various cultural subgroups), followed by the Aymaras, mostly found in the extreme southern Andes. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Quechuas is the term used for several ethnic groups in South America that use a Quechua language ( Southern Quechua mainly belonging to several ethnic The Aymara are a native Ethnic group in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America; about 1 A large proportion of the indigenous population who live in the Andean highlands still speak Quechua or Aymara, and have vibrant cultural traditions, some which were part of the Inca Empire, arguably the most advanced agricultural civilization in the world. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. Aymara ( Aymar aru) is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. Literally dozens of indigenous cultures are also dispersed throughout the country beyond the Andes Mountains and in the Amazon basin. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Peru's Amazonian region is rapidly becoming urbanized. Important urban centers include Iquitos, Nauta, Puerto Maldonado, Pucallpa and Yurimaguas. Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370962 Nauta is a bustling small town situated in the northeastern area of the Peruvian Amazon roughly 100km south of the Province's capital Iquitos. Puerto Maldonado is a city in Southeastern Peru in the Amazon forest west of the Bolivian border on the confluence of the Tambopata and Madre Pucallpa ( Quechua: puka hallpa "red earth" is a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Yurimaguas is a thriving port-town in the Loreto Region of northeastern Peruvian Amazonia. This region is home to numerous indigenous peoples, though they do not constitute a large proportion of the total population. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Examples of indigenous peoples residing in eastern Peru include the Shipibo, Urarina, Cocama, and Aguaruna, to name just a few. Shipibo (also Shipibo-Conibo, Shipibo-Konibo) is a Panoan language spoken in Peru and Brazil by approximately 26000 speakers The Urarina are an Indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon Basin ( Loreto) who inhabit the Chambira, Urituyacu and Corrientes Rivers For the Aguaruna people's language see Aguaruna language. The Aguaruna (or Awajún, the name they prefer are an indigenous

35 percent of the total population is made up of Mestizos. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin The term traditionally denotes Amerindian and European ancestry, and most Peruvian mestizos are of this combination, but other lineages (most notably African) are also present, in varying degrees, in some segments of the mestizo population. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Most mestizos are urban dwellers and can be seen in coastal cities of the north coast, where they show stronger Spanish inheritance, the central coast like Lima Region, Cajamarca Region, and also Arequipa Region. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin Lima Region, also known as Lima Provincias, is one of twenty-five regions of Peru. Cajamarca is a region in Peru. The capital is the city of Cajamarca. Arequipa is a region in southwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Ica, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Cusco regions on the north the

15% of the population are descendants of Whites. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. ^[5] They are descendants of the colonial Spanish colonizers and other European nations as British, French, German, Italian and Portuguese, some of them preserving a predominant white physiognomy, but mainly settled in the cities. This article is about Peruvian people of British descent for British people of Peruvian descent see here A British Peruvian is a Peruvian citizen A French-Peruvian (French franco-péruvien Spanish franco-peruano may be a Peruvian of French descent a French of Peruvian descent or a person The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as An Italian Peruvian is a Peruvian citizen of Italian descent. The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west Descendants of Basques from both Spain and southwest France are numerous in Peru, who represent a large percentage of fishermen and shepherds in the country from its colonial past and today. The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France. A Spanish Peruvian is a Peruvian citizen of Spanish descent. Among European Peruvians the Spanish were the largest group of immigrants to settle in This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The majority of the whites live in the largest cities, concentrated usually the northern coastal cities of Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, and of course the capital Lima. Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. Chiclayo, is the capital city of the Lambayeque region in northern Peru. Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking The only southern city with a significant population is Arequipa. For the Cactus Genus, see Oreocereus. Arequipa is the capital of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru To the north Cajamarca and San Martin are also cities with strong Spanish influence. Cajamarca is located in the northern highlands of Peru and is the capital of the Cajamarca region.

Chinatown in Lima

Alberto Fujimori is a Japanese-Peruvian who was president of Peru

There is also a large presence of Asian Peruvians, primarily Japanese and Chinese, that constitutes some 5% of the population, which in proportion to the overall population is the largest of any Latin American nation. Asian Peruvians, primarily Japanese and Chinese, that constitute some 2-3% of the population which in proportion to the overall population is the largest of any The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. Peru has the second largest population of people of Japanese descent in Latin America after Brazil and the largest population of Chinese descent in Latin America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Historic communities inhabited by people of Chinese descent are found throughout the Peruvian upper Amazon, including cities such as Yurimaguas, Nauta, Iquitos and the north central coast (Lambayeque and Trujillo). The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers Yurimaguas is a thriving port-town in the Loreto Region of northeastern Peruvian Amazonia. Nauta is a bustling small town situated in the northeastern area of the Peruvian Amazon roughly 100km south of the Province's capital Iquitos. Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370962 In contrast to the Japanese community in Peru, the Chinese appear to have intermarried much more since they came to work in the rice fields during the Viceroyalty and to replace the African slaves, during the abolition of slavery itself. A paddy field is a flooded parcel of Arable land used for growing Rice and other semiaquatic crops. Despite the presence of Peruvians of Asian heritage being quite recent, in the past decade they have made significant advancements in business and political fields; a past president (Alberto Fujimori), several past cabinet members, and several members of the Peruvian congress are of Japanese or Chinese origin. Alberto Ken'ya Fujimori (Japanese name) (born in Lima, Peru on July 28 1938 is a Peruvian and Japanese ref> Fujimori secures Japanese haven Small numbers of Arab Peruvians, mostly of Lebanese and Syrian origin, also reside. Arab diaspora refers to the numbers of Arab immigrants, and their descendants who voluntarily or as Refugees emigrated from their native countries Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية

El Señor de los Milagros Procession

Eva Ayllon is a popular Afro-Peruvian singer

The remaining 3% is constituted by Afro-Peruvians, The Afro-Peruvians, a legacy of Peru's history as an importer of slaves during the colonial period. A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin processio, itself from procedere, to go forth advance Eva Ayllón (born February 6, 1956 as María Angélica Ayllón Urbina) a composer and singer is one of Peru 's foremost Afro-Peruvian Afro Peruvians are citizens of Peru, descended from Black African Slaves who were brought to the New World with the arrival of the Conquistadors Today also mulattos (mixed African and European) and zambos (mixed African and Amerindian) constitute an important part of the population as well, especially in Piura, Tumbes, Lambayeque, Lima and Ica regions. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white Zambo is a Spanish term (the Portuguese language term is Cafuso) that was used in the Spanish Empire and continues to be used today Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Tumbes can refer to Tumbes (city in Peru the Tumbes River in South America the Tumbes Region in Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking Ica is a region in Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west the Lima Region on the north the Huancavelica and Ayacucho The Afro-Peruvian population is concentrated mostly in coastal cities south of Lima, such as that of those found in the Ica Region, in cities like Cañete, Chincha, Ica, Nazca and Acari in the border with the Arequipa Region. Cañete Chincha may refer to the following;Locations Chincha Alta, a Peruvian city The city of Ica is the capital of the Ica Region in southern Peru. For the archaeological site see Nazca Lines. For the culture it belonged to see Nazca culture. Acarina or Acari are a Taxon of Arachnids that contains Mites and Ticks The diversity of the Acari is extraordinary and its Arequipa is a region in southwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Ica, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Cusco regions on the north the Another large but poorly promoted segment of Afro-Peruvian presence is in the Yunga regions (west and just below the Andean chain of northern Peru), (i. e. , Piura and Lambayeque), where sugarcane, lemon, and mango production are still of importance. Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Important communities are found all over the Morropón Province, such as in the city of Chulucanas. The Morropón Chulucanas is a town in Piura Region, Peru. It is located at around. Yapatera is a community in the same city, as well as smaller farming communities like Pabur or La Matanza and even in the mountainous region near Canchaque. Further south, the colonial city of Zaña or farming towns like Capote and Tuman in Lambayeque are also important regions with Afro-Peruvian presence.

Socioeconomic and cultural indicators are increasingly important as identifiers. For example, Peruvians of Amerindian descent who have adopted aspects of Hispanic culture also are beginning to consider themselves "mestizo". With economic development, access to education, intermarriage, and large-scale migration from rural to urban areas, a more homogeneous national culture is developing, mainly along the relatively more prosperous coast.

Most of Peru's population (about 50% percent) lives in the Costa (coastal area), while 36% live in the Sierra (the Andes) and only 12% in the Llanos or Amazon rain forest. Los Llanos redirect here for the Chilean region see Los Llanos Chile Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains is a vast Tropical grassland The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía Almost one third of the nation's population lives in the Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area. This article is about the administrative division For the city see Lima The Lima Metropolitan Area ( Spanish: Área Metropolitana Lima is home to over 8 million Peruvians, one of South America's largest urban areas, includes the neighboring community of Callao that grown fast and expanded since the 1960s. Callao in Perupng see image description page at http//enwikipedia

Language

Peruvian Paso

Peru has two official languages--Spanish and the foremost indigenous language, Quechua. The Peruvian Paso or Peruvian Horse is a breed of light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. Spanish is used by the government and the media and in education and commerce. Amerindians who live in the Andean highlands speak Quechua and Aymara and are ethnically distinct from the diverse indigenous groups who live on the eastern side of the Andes and in the tropical lowlands adjacent to the Amazon basin. Aymara ( Aymar aru) is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes.

Peru's distinct geographical regions are mirrored in a socioeconomic divide between the coast's mestizo-Hispanic culture and the more diverse, traditional Andean cultures of the mountains and highlands. The indigenous populations east of the Andes speak various languages and dialects. Some of these groups still adhere to traditional customs, while others have been almost completely assimilated into the mestizo-Hispanic culture.

A highland woman preparing thread for textiles

Peru's official languages are Spanish and, according to the Peruvian Constitution of 1993, Amerindian languages such as Quechua, Aymara and other such indigenous languages in areas where they predominate. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Today, Spanish is spoken by some 80. 3% of the population, and is the language used by government, media, and in education and formal commerce. There has been an increasing and organized effort to teach Quechua in public schools in the areas where Quechua is spoken.

According to official sources, the use of Spanish has increased while the knowledge and use of indigenous languages has decreased considerably during the last four decades (1960–2000). At the beginning of the 1960s some 39% of the total Peruvian population were registered as speakers of indigenous languages, but by the 1990s the figures show a considerable decline in the use of Quechua, Aymara and other indigenous languages, when only 28% is registered as Quechua-speaking (16% of whom are reported to be bilingual in Spanish) and Spanish-speakers increased to 72%.

For 2005, government figures place Spanish as being spoken by 80. 3% of the population, but among Amerindian languages another decrease is registered. Of the indigenous languages, Quechua remains the most spoken, and even today is used by some 16. 2% of the total Peruvian population, or a third of Peru's total indigenous population. The number of Aymara-speakers and other indigenous languages is placed at 3%, and foreign languages 0. 2%.

The drastic decline in use and knowledge of indigenous languages is largely attributed to the recent demographic factors. The urbanization and assimilation of Peru's Amerindian plurality into the Hispanic-mestizo culture, as well as the new socioeconomic factors associated with class structure have given privilege to the use of Spanish at the expense of the Amerindian languages which were spoken by the majority of the population less than a century ago.

The major obstacle to a more widespread use of the Quechua language is the fact that multiple dialects of this language exist. The variations among these Quechua dialects are as pronounced as - for example - the differences between Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Quechua, along with Aymara and the minor indigenous languages, was originally and remains essentially an oral language. Therefore, there is a lack of modern media which use it: for example books, newspapers, software, magazines, technical journals, etc. However, non-governmental organizations as well as state sponsored groups are involved in projects to edit and translate major works into the Quechua language; for instance, in late 2005 a superb version of Don Quixote was presented in Quechua.

The percentage of native speakers of Quechua who are illiterate has been decreasing lately, as 86. 87% of the Peruvian population is literate. More encouraging, nationwide literacy rate of youth aged 15 to 24 years is 96. 8%.

Education

An amerindian girl from the Andes.

Under the 1993 constitution, primary education is free and compulsory. The system is highly centralized, with the Ministry of Education appointing all public school teachers. Eighty-three percent of Peru's students attend public schools at all levels, but over 15 percent (usually the upper-classes) attend private schools if their parents can afford to pay for the tuition.

School enrollment has been rising sharply for years, due to a widening educational effort by the government and a growing school-age population. The illiteracy rate is estimated at 12. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, 5% (17. 4% for women), 28. 0% in rural areas and 5. 6% in urban areas. Quechua is an oral language. In some cases, in rural areas, people do not speak Spanish and therefore do not know how to read or write. Elementary and secondary school enrollment is about 7. 7 million. Peru's 74 universities (1999), 39% public and 61% private institutions, enrolled about 322,000 students in 1999.

Current (2006) Demographic data from CIA World Factbook

Demographics of Peru, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Population: 25,302,893 (July 2006 est. )

Age structure:
0-19 years: 30. 9% (male 4,456,195/female 4,300,233)
15-64 years: 63. 7% (male 9,078,123; female 8,961,981)
65 years and over: 5. 3% (male 709,763; female 796,308) (2006 est. )

Population growth rate: 1. 32% (2006 est. )

Birth rate: 20. 48 births/1,000 population (2006 est. )

Death rate: 6. 23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est. )

Net migration rate: -1. 01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est. )

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1. 05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1. 04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1. 01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0. 89 male(s)/female
total population: 1. 01 male(s)/female (2006 est. )

Infant mortality rate: 30. 94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est. )

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 84 years
male: 68. 05 years
female: 71. 71 years (2006 est. )

Total fertility rate: 2. 51 children born/woman (2006 est. )

Nationality:
noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian

Ethnic groups: Amerindian 45%, Mestizo 37%, White Descendants 15% (Mostly Spanish descent), black/Afro-Peruvian, Japanese, Chinese, and Arab/Middle-Eastern (although are white) 3%. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin

Religions: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1. 4%, other Christian 0. 7%, Jewish 0. 01%, Buddhist 4% unspecified or none 12. 9% (2003 est. ) [1]

Languages: Spanish (official) 80%, Quechua (official) 16%, Aymara 2%, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages 1%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87. 7%
male: 93. 5%
female: 82. 1% (2004 est. )

See also

• Indigenous peoples in Peru
• Roman Catholicism by country

References