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cc2297 — Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:58 pm

Author: cc2297

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:58 pm

We are a group of students at NYU’s Stern School of Business pursuing an MBA that need your help in accessing the internet market needs of expats living abroad for a school project. Please take a moment to help us complete our school project by filling out a quick survey. If you are willing to help us complete our project, please email me at cc2297@stern.nyu.edu and I will forward the link to you. Below is a quick description of what we are aiming to establish.

As an expat living in a foreign country, it can be difficult to keep up with what’s going on back home in news, sports, and popular media. The internet infrastructure in developing countries can make it difficult to stream US content in a timely manner and with quality video. I am working with a team of classmates at NYU’s Stern School of Business to conduct market research on how receptive expats living abroad would be to a web-based platform that would allow quality streaming capabilities and access to US television content. In order to gather the necessary market information to compile a report, we need to get as many responses from expats living abroad as possible.

PERU COUNTRY PROFILE / PERU COUNTRY GUIDE

Peru Info — Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:35 am

Author: Peru Info

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:35 am

PERU COUNTRY PROFILE

Introduction

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government; his presidency has been hampered by allegations of corruption.

Geography

Location: Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 76 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq km
water: 5,220 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 5,536 km
border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,414 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in centre (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 2.89%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 96.71% (2001)

Irrigated land: 11,950 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

People

Population: 27,925,628 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.5% (male 4,479,278/female 4,323,356)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 8,891,785/female 8,776,343)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 685,179/female 769,687) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.95 years
male: 24.69 years
female: 25.21 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.36% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 20.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.53 years
male: 67.77 years
female: 71.37 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 82,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian

Ethnic groups: Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.2%
female: 86.8% (2003 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Peru
conventional short form: Peru
local long form: Republica del Peru
local short form: Peru

Government type: constitutional 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: some reports indicate that the 24 departments and 1 constitutional province are now being referred to as regions; Peru is implementing a decentralization program whereby these 25 administrative divisions will begin to exercise greater governmental authority over their territories; in November 2002, voters chose their new regional presidents and other regional leaders; the authority that the regional governments will exercise has not yet been clearly defined, but it will be devolved to the regions over the course of several years

Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Constitution: 31 December 1993

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; note - members of the military and national police may not vote

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; additionally, the constitution provides for two vice presidents, First Vice President (vacant) and Second Vice President David WAISMAN Rjavinsthi (since 28 July 2001)
head of government: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; additionally, the constitution provides for two vice presidents, First Vice President (vacant) and Second Vice President David WAISMAN Rjavinsthi (since 28 July 2001)
note: Prime Minister Carlos FERRERO Costa (since 15 December 2003) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; special presidential and congressional elections held 8 April 2001, with runoff election held 3 June 2001; next to be held 9 April 2006
election results: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique 53.1%, Alan GARCIA 46.9%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 April 2001 (next to be held 9 April 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PP 26.3%, APRA 19.7%, UN 13.8%, FIM 11.0%, others 29.2%; seats by party - PP 47, APRA 28, UN 17, FIM 11, others 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)

Political parties and leaders:
Independent Moralizing Front or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Peru Posible or PP [David WAISMAN]; Peruvian Aprista Party or PAP (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA) [Alan GARCIA]; Popular Action or AP [Javier DIAZ Orihuela]; Solucion Popular [Carlos BOLANA]; Somos Peru or SP [Alberto ANDRADE]; Union for Peru or UPP [Roger GUERRA Garcia]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)]; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)]

International organization participation:
APEC, CAN, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo FERRERO Costa
chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador J. Curtis STRUBLE
embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33
mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000
telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000
FAX: [51] (1) 434-3037

Flag description:
three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centred in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath

Economy

Economy - overview:
Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy grew by an average 4 percent per year during the period 2002-2004, with a stable exchange rate and low inflation. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2004, reflecting investor optimism regarding the government's prudent fiscal policies and openness to trade and investment. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, the TOLEDO administration remained unpopular in 2004, and unemployment and poverty have stayed persistently high.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $155.3 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 27%
services: 65% (2003 est.)

Labour force: 11 million (2004 est.)

Labour force - by occupation: agriculture 9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001)

Unemployment rate: 9.6% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 54% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 49.8 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 17.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $13.6 billion
expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion, for general government, excluding private enterprises (2004 est.)

Public debt: 44.1% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish

Industries:
mining and refining of minerals and metals, petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas, fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing, steel, metal fabrication

Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 22.88 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Electricity - consumption: 20.22 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production: 95,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 161,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: 49,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves: 408.8 million bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 910 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 910 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 245.1 billion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $-30 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $12.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee

Exports - partners: US 29.5%, China 9.8%, UK 8%, Chile 5.3%, Japan 4.7%, Switzerland 4.4% (2004)

Imports: $9.6 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper

Imports - partners: US 29.2%, Spain 8.5%, Chile 6.9%, Brazil 5.6%, Colombia 5.2%, China 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $12.7 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $29.79 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $491 million (2002)

Currency (code): nuevo sol (PEN)

Exchange rates: nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.4132 (2004), 3.4785 (2003), 3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001), 3.49 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,839,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,908,800 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate for most requirements
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations: AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: 13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code: .pe

Internet hosts: 65,868 (2003)

Internet users: 2.85 million (2003)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 3,462 km
standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)

Highways:
total: 78,230 km
paved: 10,452 km
unpaved: 67,778 km (2001)

Waterways: 8,808 km
note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2004)

Pipelines: gas 388 km; oil 1,557 km; refined products 13 km (2004)

Ports and harbours:
Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas
note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries

Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,666 GRT/17,611 DWT
by type: cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (United States 1)
registered in other countries: 14 (2005)

Airports: 234 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 52
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 182
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 62
under 914 m: 99 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

Military

Military branches:
Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru; includes Naval Air, Naval Infantry, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru; FAP)

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 18-49: 6,647,874 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,938,417 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 277,105 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $829.3 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (2004)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis; organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared border; Peru does not support Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 60,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; emerging opium producer; cultivation of coca in Peru fell 15 percent to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end of 2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighbouring Colombia for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to Europe and Africa

PERU PROFILE : Peru Country Profile

Anonymous — Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:55 am

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:55 am

PERU PROFILE : Peru Country Profile

PERU

The Republic of Peru, (Spanish: República del Perú pron. IPA [re'pu.βli.ka del pe'ru]), or Peru, is a country in western South America, bordering 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. Peru is rich in cultural anthropology, and is well-known as the cradle of the Inca empire.

History

Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian coast in 1532, and by the end of the 1530s the Viceroyalty of Peru encompassed all of Spain's territories in South America. The Viceroyalty was a major source of gold and silver for the Spanish Empire. Lima was one of the two most important cities in Spain's empire in America, the other being Mexico City. Peru declared its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821 thanks to an alliance between the Chilean/Argentinian army of José de San Martín, and the Neogranadine Army of Simón Bolívar. Its first elected president, however, was not in power until 1827. From 1836 to 1839 Peru and Bolivia were united in the Peru-Bolivian Confederacy, dissolved only after an internal conflict. Between these years, political unrest did not fade away, with the Army as an important political force. In 1879, Chile declared war against Bolivia in response to the fact that Bolivia had changed the tax rules regarding Chilean business activities in the Bolivian province of Antofagasta. Since Peru had made a secret political alliance with Bolivia prior to this conflict, Peru was obliged to declare war against Chile. This was referred to as the War of the Pacific which lasted from 1879 until 1883 with Chile's victory. The war ended with the loss of the department of Tarapacá and the provinces of Tacna and Arica. After the Chilean occupation ended, Peru was engulfed by internal political strife and civil war. Political stability was achieved only during the early years of the 1900s. In 1929 Peru and Chile signed a peace treaty (Treaty of Ancon) by which Tacna was to be returned to Peru and Peru yielded permanently the rich province of Arica, although keeping certain rights to the port activities in Arica. Between 1941 and 1995 there were a series of three wars between Peru and Ecuador over the control of the territory in the northern part of modern-day Peru. Disputes over the territory originated as far back as colonial times but actual wars between those two countries started in 1941. The dispute officially ended in 1998, when Peru obtained all the disputed territory mainly because of military victory. It is said that the country received its name from a Spanish pronunciation of the Belu River.

Geography

The Lima Province, located in the central coast of the country, is unique in that it doesn't belong to any of the twenty-five regions. The city of Lima is located in this province, which is also known as Lima Metropolitana (Metropolitan Lima).

Until 2002, Peru was divided into 24 departments (departamentos) plus one constitutional province (Callao), and many people still use this term when referring to today's regions, although it is now obsolete.

Current Peruvian regions are:

Amazonas
Ancash
Apurímac
Arequipa
Ayacucho
Cajamarca
Callao
Cusco
Huancavelica
Huánuco
Ica
Junín
La Libertad
Lambayeque
Lima
Loreto
Madre de Dios
Moquegua
Pasco
Piura
Puno
San Martín
Tacna
Tumbes
Ucayali

Politics

The current president is Alejandro Toledo, leader of Perú Posible, he was elected with 53% of the votes in second ballot in the 2001 election defeating former socialist president Alberto Fujimori. 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: PAP, 28 seats), which is led by Alan García Pérez, and Unidad Nacional (short: UN, 17 seats), which is led by Lourdes Flores Nano. During the 1980s, political instability, mainly due to insurgency and economic crisis, was the main issue in Peru. After the government of president Fujimori during the 1990s, the reforms have changed the country.

The next presidential election will be held on Sunday April the 9th 2006, and more than 16 million Peruvians will be able to vote worldwide.

Economy

The Peruvian economy has become increasingly market oriented, with major privatizations completed since 1990 in the mining, electric/power, and telecommunications industries. Thanks to strong foreign investment and the cooperation between the former Fujimori administration, the IMF, and the World Bank, growth was strong in 1994–97 and inflation was brought under control. In 1998, El Niño's impact on agriculture, the financial crisis in Asia, and instability in Brazilian markets undercut growth. 1999 was another lean year for Peru, with the aftermath of El Niño and the Asian financial crisis working its way through the economy. Lima did manage to complete negotiations for an Extended Fund Facility with the IMF in June 1999, although it subsequently had to renegotiate the targets. Pressure on spending grew in the run-up to the 2000 elections. Growth up to 2005 has been driven by construction, investment, domestic demand, and exports to different world regions. Peru's economy is one of the better-managed in Latin America. Over the next few years, the country is likely to attract both domestic and foreign investment in the tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, industry, petroleum and natural gas, and power industries.

According to The Economist, the Peruvian economy achieved the sixth largest growth worldwide in 2005. It has taken steps to consolidate a possible free trade agreement with United States of America by April 2006; both countries wait for the approval of the terms by their respective congresses. Peru is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Chile which may be finished by March 2006. Peru currently has a free trade agreemente with the Andean Community, which is composed of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela. It also holds free trade agreements with many of the countries in Mercosur as well as Thailand, and during the recent APEC summit, Peru voiced intentions to sign free trade agreements with China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. It is also pushing for a free trade agreement with the European Union. All these negotiations will broadly expand the markets in which the Peruvian products are traded. Peru has a great export potential in agricultural products (coffee, asparagus, paprika, artichokes, bananas, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, tropical fruits-such as oranges, lemons, limes, papayas, pineapples, peaches, coconuts, sugar, cotton, potatoes -where it is originally from- flowers, avocadoes, olives, mangoes, apples, grapes, ethanol -byproduct of sugar cane), textiles and clothing, shoes, petroleum derivatives (gasolines, light oil, plastics, synthetic fibers, etc), natural gas, minerals (copper, gold, molibdenum, silver, zinc, plumbum, antimonium, etc), as well as fish and seafood products (oil fish, tuna, shrimp, Peruvian King crab, etc), tourism, and manufacturing (electrical and electronic equipment and machinery, automobiles, assembly parts for equipment, hydraulic pumps, ships, small aircraft, sub-assemblies, etc). In 2005 Peruvian exports reached US$ 17.1 billion (an increase of 34.6% compared to 2004) and it is expected to grow 35% for this year reaching US$23.5 billion at the end of 2006. Also, the economy has shown a healthy grow in all its sectors (energy, construction, commerce, fishing, manufacturing, tourism, etc) in 2005 growing over 6.3% (one of the fastest growth rates in the world) and it is projected to grow a strong 7% for 2006 considering that commodity prices, which Peru is a great producer, will have an estimated increment of 25% on average. Unfortunately poverty in Peru is still very high, with a rate of 51,6% of the total population.

For the next five years (until 2010) the Peruvian government has registered over US$ 10 billion in private investment (both domestic and foreign) in the mining and energy sectors, as well as investments of US$ 15 billion in other sectors such as industry, commerce, tourism, seafood and agriculture, which will keep the economy growing at healthy levels of 5% or more, anually. It is possible that with the Free Trade Agreement with the USA these levels of investment will sky rocket developing and transforming the country in a few years.

Demographics

Peru is one of three countries in Latin America whose largest population segment is comprised of unmixed Amerindians - , where almost half of all Peruvians are Amerindian, or 45 percent of the total population. The two major indigenous ethnic groups are the various Quechua-speaking populations, followed closely by the Aymará, as well as several dozen small Amerindian ethnic tribes scattered throughout the country beyond the Andes Mountains and in the Amazon basin. Mestizos, a term that denotes people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, constitute around 37% of the people, and 15% of white European ancestry, with the majority of them living in Peru's largest cities such as Trujillo, Arequipa and Lima.

Amerindians who live in the Andean highlands speak Quechua and Aymara have a rich culture which was part of the Inca Empire, the most advanced agricultural civilization in the world. In the low lands of the Amazon Jungle thousand of indigenuos population are dispersed around thousands of square miles of inexpugnable jungles, and 3 big cities (Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado and Pucallpa) with a population of almost one million and an area larger than the US states of Texas and West Virginia combined

Language

Peru has two official languages - Spanish and the foremost indigenous language, Quechua. Spanish is used by all coastal Peruvians, the government, the media, and in education and formal commerce; although there is an increasing and organized effort to teach Quechua in public schools.

The major obstacle to the diffusion of the usage and teaching of Quechua language, namely books, newspapers, software, magazines, technical journals, etc. Importantly, 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. Nevertheless, these books are just collectors items as they have no natural readership. Significantly, most of the native speakers of Quechua are illiterate. Thus, Quechua, along with Aymara and the minor indigenous languages, remains essentially an oral language.

Folklore and Music

Hundreds of years of ethnic and cultural mixing has created a rich musical landscape across Peru. Typical instruments include the Andean flute and pan-pipes (Quena and Zampoña), the Cajon drum used in Afro Peruvian music, and the traditional Spanish guitar. Peru is home to thousands of dances of pre Inca, Andean and mestizo origin. The southern Andean region is famous for the Huayno.

Arequipa is the proud creator of the famous Yaravi, a melancholy style of a capella singing that evokes the solitude of the mountains. Probably the most well known song of this style is "El Condor Pasa", a traditional Peruvian song popularized in the United States by the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel and featured in the movie "The Graduate". The original composition consists of a Yaravi, followed by an inca "pasacalle" and a Huayno fugue, three traditional inca rhythms. The Huaylas, by contrast, is a cheery, rhythmic style from the central Andes.

The coast has a different feel to its music than its Andean counterpart. Primarily Spanish in origin, coastal culture combines traditional European rhythms such as the flamenco and the waltz with Creole, African and Gypsy influences to create the wide range of styles we hear today. Lima's most well known musical style is the Vals Peruano (Peruvian Waltz), popularized by the great Chabuca Granda. She is widely considered the most important composer of Coastal Creole music, with such songs as La Flor de La Canela, Fina Estampa, and José Antonio. Other commonly known Vals Peruano tunes are: Alma Corazon y Vida, Odiame, Mi Propiedad Privada, El Plebeyo, and Devuelveme El Rosario de Mi Madre, some of which are sung by Caribbean artists in the Bolero or Salsa version.

Afro Peruvian music is most commonly performed by duos of Creole guitars, the Cajon and spoon rhythms. African derived rhythms like the Festejo or Landó are common in the black communities of the southern coast. Susana Baca is a renowned singer and composer of Afro Peruvian music. She won a Grammy award in 2002 for her album Lamento Negro.

The Marinera is the National Dance of Peru, named in honor of the marines who fought against the Chilean military in the War of the Pacific. Among Peruvians of the coast, it is considered as traditional and representative as the Tango is to Argentina. Many people take classes and look forward to the annual Marinera Festival held in the city of Trujillo every July, with thousands in attendance. Lambayeque and Piura are also known for their marineras and tonderos.

Lima is famous for the [[Senor de los Milagros Procession]] and Bullfighting, which takes place in Plaza de Toros Acho (the oldest bullfighting venue of the Americas). Considered the largest procession in South America, congregating devotees from all over the country, the Senor de los Milagros or Lord of Miracles Procession takes place during October. During the whole month, known as the mes morado -or purple month-, minor observations in honour of the patron (whose colour is purple) are celebrated. The main event occurs the 18th: dressed in purple habits, hundreds of thousands of devotees sing and pray while accompanying the image on its 24-hour route from the Nazarenas temple to La Merced church in the Barrios Altos district.

Cumbe Mayo Aqueduct (1500 B.C.) near Cajamarca, PeruPeruvian cuisine, for years unnoticed abroad, has recently exploded onto the world gastronomic scene. The Economist magazine, for example, reported in a January 2004 article that Peru could "lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines". Lima was declared "Gastronomic Capital of Latin America" at the 2006 Madrid Fusion International Gastronomic Summit, one of the most prestigious culinary events in Europe.

Peru's cuisine offers an amazing variety of flavors and influences. One reason for this is the country's enormous biodiversity. Peru's many climate zones make it possible to grow a wide range of crops. Potatoes and hot peppers from the Andes, fish and seafood from the Pacific Ocean, mangoes and limes from the coastal valleys, bananas and manioc from the Amazon jungle: a chef's only problem is abundance of choice. In addition, Peruvian cuisine's Incan and Spanish roots have been influenced by sizable immigrant populations such as African, Cantonese, Italian, Japanese, who have added their own ingredients and traditions to the mix.

No visitor should leave Lima without trying one of the many wonderful restaurants. The best are mainly located in the neighborhoods of Miraflores, San Isidro or Chacarilla. Peru is mainly known for its cebiche (fish cooked with lemon and red chili pepper) and its excellent seafood, but other typical food include creole (called "criolla"), chinese-peruvian (called "chifa") which are also first-class.

Sports

Soccer: The most popular Peruvian sport is soccer (World Cup appeareances: 1930,1970,1978,1982 two Copa America tournaments). Although the National team has not been very successful, most of the population of Peru follow the World Cup tournament on television. Soccer legends from Peru include Hugo Sotil, Cesar Cueto, and Teofilo Cubillas, Peru's best striker in World Cup Finals with 10 goals. Current renowned players include midfielder Nolberto Solano (Newcastle United since 1998, with a 2-year parenthesis in Aston Villa), and strikers Claudio Pizarro, Paolo Guerrero (Bayern Munich) and Jefferson Farfán (PSV Eindhoven).

Volleyball: Other popular sport is Women’s Volleyball (Silver medal in Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and 14 times South American champion).

Surfing: Sofia Mulanovich, Women’s World Surf Champion in 2004 and 2005.

Sailing: Peru is the only country of the region that has won for six consecutive years the world Cup in the Sunfish Class. In addition, Peru has won the Central American, South American & Caribbean Championships for the same category. In the Optimist Class, it was three times World Champion in Team-Racing in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Shooting: Peruvian shooters have won 3 of Peru's 4 olympic medals. Edwin Vásquez won Peru's only gold medal in London 1948 Olympic Games, while Francisco Boza (Los Angeles 1984), and Juan Giha (Barcelona 1992) both won silver medals.

Source : Wikipedia.com