Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) 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
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 21%
forest and woodland: 55%
other: 21%
Irrigated land: 12,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; 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
natural hazards: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild
volcanic activity
international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
Geographic note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake, with Bolivia
People ———
Population: 24,523,408 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 4,360,379; female 4,214,970)
15-64 years: 61% (male 7,480,747; female 7,375,825)
65 years and over: 4% (male 497,775; female 593,712) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.74% (1996 est.)