Irving Simpson

19 May 2100
History 141

Peru
Nations Report: Part 1
 Geography of Peru
The geography of Peru is divided up into three basic regions: the
Amazon Basin, the coastal region, and the Andean mountain ranges
Each region has its own unique climate and supports a unique flora
and fauna unlike any of the other areas
Peru is on the Pacific coast of South America entirely south of the
equator
The climate of Peru is very diverse and includes a large variety of
climates and microclimates, including 28 of the 32 world climates
Amazon Basin lies in the east of Peru and makes up about 60% of
Perus territory
The region has many rivers including the Amazon River and is
covered with tropical rainforest
Weather is warm and humid year-round and rainfall ranges from
about 80 to 150 inches per year
The coast of Peru is located between sea level and 1,650 feet and is
where more than 50% of the countrys population is located,
including Lima, the capital

Man National Park, a biosphere reserve in the Peruvian rainforest.

 Geography of Peru
The west of Peru along the Pacific coast is in the rain shadow of the
Andes and features deserts, beautiful beaches and fertile valleys
The Humboldt Current has a considerable cooling influence on the
climate of Peru and is also partially responsible for the aridity in
coastal areas of Peru
The Humboldt Current and coastal upwelling allow for one of the
worlds most productive marine ecosystems supporting an important
fishing industry in Peru
The Andes Mountains reach over 20,000 feet above sea level and are
so vast that it can be divided into several sub-regions each with a
different microclimate supporting a diverse array of flora and fauna
Rain varies widely from 8 to 60 inches per year in the mountains and
the seasons are divided into a dry winter and wet summer
Nevado Huascarn is the highest peak in Peru at 22,205 feet above
sea level
As an extreme, Peru also has a point over 100 feet below sea level,
Bayovar Depression

Alpamayo, a mountain peak in the Huascarn National Park

 People of Peru
Peru is a country of 29.5 million inhabitants, 75.9% live in urban areas
and 24.1% in rural areas
The major city is Lima on the coast with over 8 million people
Peru is a multiethnic country and is home to people of many different
historic and cultural backgrounds, where citizenship defines the country
of origin but not the ethnicity of a person
Because the Peruvian census does not collect data about ethnicity,
estimates are necessary to determine the ethnic makeup of the country
Amerindians: 45%, Mestizos: 37%, European: 15%, Afro-Peruvians: 2%,
Asians and others: 1%
The Andes are the homeland of many indigenous populations in Peru,
especially the southern Andes; many also live in the coastal regions due
to the massive economic migration to the cities from remote Andean
regions over the past four decades
Most whites are coastal urban dwellers, most commonly of Spanish
decent, but also of Italian, British, French, German, Irish, and Croatian
heritage
 People of Peru
Peruvians of European origin have traditionally been more dominant in
the political, commercial, and diplomatic sectors of Peruvian society
Many people from European heritage have mixed with Amerindians to
create a new demographic group called mestizos
There is advantage to being white In many parts of Latin America where
it is socially desirable and associated with high socio-economic status
Whiteness is more often connected to socio-economic status than to
specific phenotypic traits
The common wisdon is that "Money Whitens"
Unlike in the U.S. where even a little African blood would make one black
and subject to segregation, Latin America promoted miscegenation
through the idea that even a small amount of European blood could
confer significant upwards social mobility
A strict caste system was in place from colonial times and primarily
based on race.
It became possible to dilute mestizo blood to the point where one might
be considered white
Buying ones way into the white, criollo, class was possible and popular

The Peruvian Miss World in 2004

 Culture of Peru
Tourism is Perus third largest industry with cultural tourism as the largest sector
and the ruin of Machu Picchu as the most prominent and popular destination
Machu Picchu is thought to be the imperial estate of Incan emperor Pachacuti
that was built in the 1400s and then abandoned after the Spanish conquest; it
was never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors and therefore, was never
defiled
Machu Picchu, called "The Lost City of the Incas", was unknown to the outside
world before being brought to light in 1911 by the American historian Hiram
Bingham
Since its discovery, the number of tourists visiting Machu Picchu has continued
to grow, rising to 400,000 visitors in 2003
Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is under consideration for
the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger
As Peru's most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, Machu
Picchu is under constant economic and commercial pressure
Bingham recovered treasures and artifacts from Machu Picchu and removed
them to Yale University for further study, supposedly for only 18 months
Over the years, Yale has argued that Peru was not able to properly care for the
Incan relics and retained the pieces in Yales museums and collections
Yale has recently (21 November 2010) agreed in principle to the return of the
controversial artifacts to their original home in Peru

Incan citadel of Machu Picchu

 Culture of Peru
Peru's unique variety of climates and landscapes has helped to make the
Peruvian menus some of the most diverse in the world
The geographic areas of Peru, the coastal, mountainous/highland, and
tropical, are so different that each has different cooking styles and local
ingredients
More culinary variety comes from the diversity of ethnic influences, from
the indigenous, Spanish, Asian, and African people and their distinct
cooking styles and dishes
The rich Pacific Ocean offers an abundance of fish and seafood
Ceviche is a mixture of fish, shrimp, scallops, or squid marinated in lime
juice and peppers and is considered a Peruvian national specialty
The diet of the Andes resembles the food of the ancient Incas
Potatoes, corn, rice, and various meats (beef, pork, chicken, and guinea
pig) are common in the highland cuisine
Peru is the ancestral home of the potato that has been a staple food for
thousands of years; over 2000 species of potatoes are native to Peru and
the Andes
Meats and fresh fruits and vegetables are the basis of the tropical
Peruvian diet
Experts agree, Peru may have the best food in the world

A beautiful plate of potato, corn, salad, and ceviche

 History of Peru
The Peruvian War of Independence was a component and extention of
the Peninsular War
The Peruvian War began in 1809 and ended with a proclamation of
independence, July 28, 1821
During the Peninsular War (18071814) the Spanish Empire lost its
central authority and many regions established autonomous juntas
Peru was a stronghold of royalist support and fought against in the
surrounding provinces against the uprisings
In spite of royalist inclinations in Peru, juntas did arise in reaction to the
approaching patriot armies from Buenos Aires
Peru became the second to the last refuge of the Spanish Monarchy in
South America (after Upper Peru) but eventually succumbed to patriot
armies after the successful campaigns of Jos de San Martn (18201823)
and Simn Bolvar (18231825).
Jos de San Martn captured the caiptal, Lima in 1821, proclaimed
independence for Peru, and ascended to power as the first President of
Peru
The final defeat of Spanish royalist resistance came almost four years
later at the Battle of Ayacucho (9 December 1824), the decisive battle
that ended the Peruvian War of Independence and also the battle that
wrapped up the Spanish American Wars of Independence
After the war of independence, conflicts between various interest groups
of Criollo society and individual caudillos made the political organization
of the country very difficult

San Martn proclaims the independency of Peru. Oil painting by Juan Lepiani.
 History of Peru
The Shining Path movement was founded by Abimael Guzmn whose
teachings created the basis for its militant Maoist doctrine
At first, Shining Path was largely limited to academic circles in Peruvian
universities
In the late 1970s, the movement developed a guerrilla army and by 1980
had launched its war against the government of Peru by violently
disrupting democratic elections
Shining Path went on to control vast rural territories in central and
southern Peru
Early on, Shining Path's campaign attempted to demoralize and undermine
the government in order to facilitate a violent coup and government
takeover
At first, Guzmn tried to rally citizens to the cause by attacking corrupt
officials and unpopular leaders
Soon strict social control and brutal treatment were leading to popular
resentment
The same peasants Shining Path claimed to support turned against the
group and started fighting back and supporting government military
opposition
The guerillas retaliated by torturing and killing the peasants; the
Lucanamarca massacre in 1983 resulted in the torture and murder of 69
peasants
Guzmn was captured and imprisoned in 1992, causing the movement to
deflate
The Shining Path insurrection wasre-established by the early 2000s,
perhaps in alliance with narco-traffickers
A new leader, calling himself Comrade Artemio, emerged in 2004 and
threatened continued violence unless the government made concessions
by releasing Shining Path leaders
The violence continues with killings as recent as April 2010

Screenshot of Comrade Artemio, leader of Shining

Path
 Sources
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/peru.html
http://www.about-peru-history.com/geography-of-peru.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Current
http://www.languagecrossing.com/Destinations/Peru/Geography_
of_Peru/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Peruvian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Latin_American
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Peru#Cultural_tourism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_of_Peru
http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-
Africa/Peru.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_of_Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_de_San_Mart%C3%ADn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsular_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Path
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abimael_Guzm%C3%A1n
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoism

Views of Machu Picchu