Country Profile 3

1. Physical geography

The Republic of Peru is one of the largest countries in Latin America, with a territory of 1.285 million square kilometers, equivalent to my country’s Tibet Autonomous Region, ranking first in Latin America fourth place. It has a population of 27 million, of which 46% are Indians, 36% are Indo-Europeans, and 19% are whites. 96% of the residents believe in Catholicism. The capital is Lima, Spanish is commonly spoken, and the currency is the new sol (1 U.S. dollar = 2.45 new sol).

Peru is located in western Latin America, bordering the Pacific Ocean to the west, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, Ecuador and Colombia to the north, and Chile to the south.

The coastline of Peru’s Pacific coast is 2,780 kilometers long. The coast is straight and has few twists and turns. It does not form a good natural harbor. From Pisco to the south, the mountains approach the coast, and there are not many places to build good harbors. Peru is a mountainous country, with mountainous areas accounting for about half of the country's total area. The whole territory can be divided into three distinct geographical regions from west to east.

The western coastal zone is a narrow strip of land along the Pacific coast. It is about 40 to 80 kilometers wide and 1,900 kilometers long, accounting for 11% of the country's territory, 43% of the country's population, one-third of the arable land, and more than 70% of industrial enterprises concentrated in this area. There are rich mineral and oil resources in the north. Therefore, the western coastal area is an important economic area in Peru.

The central mountainous area is the Andes Mountains that runs through the entire territory of Peru. This area has an average altitude of 4,300 meters, accounting for 26.3% of the country's territory, and 47% of the country's residents live in this area. The Amazon, the world's largest river, originates here. There are many plateaus and basins in the mountains, with good pastures. The Andes Mountains contain a variety of rich mineral resources.

The eastern forest area consists of the primeval forests of the Amazon River Basin, with gentle terrain and dense river networks. This area accounts for 62.7% of the country's territory and only accounts for about 10% of the country's population. This area has a tropical rainforest climate. It is rich in oil resources and has been exploited for a long time.

The Andes Mountains are divided into three branches in Peru, namely the East, West and Central Cordillera Mountains. They merge into the Central Andes Mountains in the south, stretching towards Chile and Bolivia.

The rivers in Peru belong to two major basins: the Pacific basin and the Atlantic basin, and there is also an inland water system called the Lake Titicaca basin. The main watershed of Peruvian rivers is the Cordillera Occidental. Most of the rivers in the Pacific Basin are short in length, rapid in flow, large in height, and all flow in an east-west direction. The rivers in the Atlantic basin have completely different characteristics: abundant water, long flows, flowing from south to north. After they merge with the rivers originating in the equatorial Andes in the Amazon lowlands, they form the Amazon River, a powerful current that flows eastward into the Atlantic Ocean.

Lake Titicaca is located at the junction of Peru and Bolivia. The lake surface is 3,860 meters above sea level and covers an area of ??8,300 square kilometers. It ranks 20th in the world and is the highest large freshwater lake in the world. The lake water is a bit salty but drinkable. Because it contains some salt, the lake does not freeze in winter.

2. Administrative divisions and economic zones

Peru is divided into 25 provinces (including the special state of Callao). There are states under the province, and there are 150 states in the country.

Peru is divided into four economic zones according to its different geographical regions: Central Economic Zone, Southern Economic Zone, Northern Economic Zone and Eastern Economic Zone.

The Central Economic Zone includes 7 provinces, including the two coastal provinces of Lima and Ica; 5 mountainous provinces: Huanuco, Junin, Pasco, and Huancavelli Ca, Ayacucho, and also the special state of Callao. The area has a total area of ??250,000 square kilometers, accounting for 18% of the country's total area, and 47% of the country's population lives in this area. Lima, the capital of Peru, is the center of this region, and all provinces in this region are connected to Lima by railways and roads. The central line of the area is the Lima-Auroa-Cerode Pasco railway and its extension the Cerro de Pasco-Huanuco-Tingomaria road. This central line of railways and highways connects the provinces of Lima, Junin, Pasco and Huanuco, while its branches draw the provinces of Huancavelica and Ayacucho to the capital Lima within the scope of influence.

At present, Central Peru plays an important role in the national economic, political, and cultural life. The capital, Lima, is one of the largest cities in Latin America, and the main port, Callao, is located in this region. Enterprises in this area provide more than 70% of Peruvian processed industrial products. The main centers of non-ferrous metal processing and smelting are Camelot Pasco and Auroa, as well as Peru's only iron ore industrial center of Makena, both located in this region.

The Southern Economic Zone covers an area of ??47,400 square kilometers, including 3 coastal provinces: Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna; 4 mountain provinces: Apurimac and Cuco Provinces, Puno and Madre de Dio. About half of the population is Indian. The Southern Railway from the coast to the interior connects the provinces of Arequipa, Puno and Cusco. All important centers in the province of Madre de Dios are connected by road to the stations of the Southern Railway. The Pan-American Highway connects the coastal provinces, and the Apurímac province is also connected to the Costa region and the mountain provinces by road. The transportation network of railways and highways in the south of this region is relatively dense. However, there are only two transportation lines connecting the two major economic zones of southern Peru and central Peru: one is the mountain road from Lake Titicaca to Lima via Cusco and Abancay, and the other is the Pan-American Highway.

The southern economic zone is roughly divided into two parts: the coastal area and the inland area. Arequipa is the most important economic center in the southern coastal region of Peru. The southern railway and the Pan-American Highway from Molendo to Cusco both pass through Arequipa. The city's main industries are light industrial products such as woolen textiles and leather. Cusco is the largest economic center in the interior of southern Peru and the world-famous ancient Inca capital. Cusco is connected by rail to Quiriobamba on the upper reaches of the Ucayali River, and also to the junction of Juliaca. From Juliaca there is another link to Puno, and another railway line to Arequipa.

The Northern Economic Zone includes the provinces of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Ancash and Cajamarca. Except for Cahama Province, which is an inland province, the other provinces are coastal provinces, and their inland areas are connected to the coastal areas by railways and roads. These coastal provinces are interconnected with the Pan-American Highway. The province of Cajama is also connected to the coastal ports by railways and roads. The routes are: Cajamarca-Chilet (road) and Chilet-Pacasmayo (railway). The largest oil deposits in the country are located in the northern Costa region. Other minerals include coal, non-ferrous metals, silver and gold. The most outstanding water resources in this area are the Mara?on and Santa rivers. Like Central Peru, this area has one of the highest population densities in Peru. Most of the population is concentrated in oasis areas. Among the 19 large cities in the country, there are 7 in this district. Among them, Chicla and Trujillo occupy the fourth and fifth places respectively among the largest cities in the country. At present, Peru's northern economic zone is the country's main fuel base and ferrous metallurgical base. Due to the complex terrain and difficult transportation in this region, and the inability to obtain large profits from mining second-rate mineral deposits, local and foreign entrepreneurs mainly invest in oil and plantation economies.

Petroleum occupies the first place among the mining industry sectors in this region. The province of Piura is a major oil producing area. According to the state-run Petroleum Company of Peru, potential oil reserves are approximately 4 billion barrels, distributed over 8 million hectares of forest and continental shelf areas. There are two main oil fields in Peru. One is the old oil field in Piura Province mentioned above, which is called the Northwest Oil Field, and the other is the Northeast Oil Field in the Amazon Forest, which is called the Forest Oil Field.

The major cities in this economic zone include: Chimbote is the second fishing port in Peru with a developed fish processing industry and is also an important metallurgical city. The city is not far from the mouth of the Santa River. The metallurgical factory obtains iron ore by sea and land and transports most of its products out. It is connected to Chukikara Coal Mine and Wayanka by railway. A hydroelectric station was built in Ca??o de Lipato, not far from Varyanka, which provides electricity to Chimbote and along the Santa River. Talara is the largest city in the north, an important production center in the northwest oil fields, and the main oil port in Peru.

The Eastern Economic Zone includes the provinces of Amazonas and San Martín located on the eastern slopes of the Andes, the provinces of Loreto and the newly established province of Ucailla in the Amazon lowlands. It covers an area of ??390,000 square kilometers, accounting for almost 1/3 of the country's area. This area has a hot climate, abundant rainfall, overflowing rivers, dense forests, and numerous harmful insects. Coupled with inconvenient transportation, this area has affected the development of this area and has become one of the most backward economic areas in Peru. However, this region has vast land suitable for farming, huge forest areas of industrial significance, rich mineral resources underground, oil reserves in the Ucayali Valley, large river flows, and potential for development. Huge water resources, therefore, the region has great potential for economic development. Iquitos, the capital of Lore Province, is the political, economic and cultural center of the eastern region. It is located on the bank of the Amazon River and is an important water transport hub in the eastern region. Sea-going ships can sail upstream from the mouth of the Amazon River directly to the city of Iquitos. Most of the goods from eastern Peru and even some of the goods from eastern Ecuador are transported down the Amazon River through Iquitos. The western and southern parts of Peru can be reached along the Mara?on and Ucayali rivers. The relatively convenient transportation makes it a military center in the eastern region.

3. Traffic situation

Peru’s transportation development is slow. So far, the total length of Peruvian railways is about 2,500 kilometers, and a unified railway network has not yet been formed. Although highway construction has developed, there are still no smooth highway connections in the eastern region. The total length of the highway is about 69,942 kilometers, only more than 10% is asphalt, and only 12% of the road system is in good condition. Others are gravel roads and dirt roads. It is impassable during the rainy season and the route is unsafe. There are also not many ships in the state-owned fleet. Just like the uneven economic development, Peru’s transportation layout is also unbalanced. Railway, highway, aviation and maritime transportation are mostly concentrated in economically developed coastal areas. The eastern region that has yet to be developed still has no railways and roads, and only relies on air transportation to connect with coastal areas. The transportation equipment is relatively old and the technology is relatively backward. Most of Peru's current railways were built in the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century. Railway specifications vary, with different gauges of 60, 75, 76, 91, 100, 106 and 114 centimeters. In short, the traffic situation is far from meeting the needs of economic development.

Sea transport occupies a very important position in Peru and is the main artery for transportation between the north and south of Peru. There are 28 ports along the coast, but because the coast is mostly a vast shallow water zone, there are not many deep-water ports. There are 13 ports that can directly dock cargo for loading and unloading, and 9 are deep-water ports, namely Callao, Saraveri, Matarani, Paita, Chimbote, Talara, San Juan, San Nicolas and I Luo, the last five ports are exclusive ports for ores. The largest and most important of all ports is Callao.

Currently, the port's unloading accounts for 65% of all Peruvian unloading, and loading accounts for 40% of all exports.

Peruvian inland water transport operations are only conducted on the Amazon River. The Amazon River system has about 8,700 kilometers of navigable inland tributaries, but inland navigation and river port facilities are far from perfect, and the potential capacity has not been fully developed. Iquitos on the Amazon River is an important hub for inland water transportation in the eastern region. Going east along the Amazon River connects you to the Atlantic Ocean, and going west you can reach the river ports of Borja on the Mara?on River and Yurimaguas on the Huallaga River. Along the Ucayali River, another tributary, you can reach the river port city of Pucallpa. Another important river port is Maldonado on the Madre de Dios River, which is connected by road to the coast and central mountains.

Lagoon transport only takes place on Lake Titicaca, which is the only waterway connecting Peru and Bolivia. The lake port city of Puno has a Pan-American Highway that leads directly to Guaquí in Bolivia, and a railway connects it to the coastal port of Matarani.