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

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 21% forests and woodland: 66% other: 10% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 12,800 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

Environment-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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography-note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia

@Peru:People

Population: 26,111,110 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (male 4,745,363; female 4,589,017) 15-64 years: 60% (male 7,856,414; female 7,752,085) 65 years and over: 4% (male 535,566; female 632,665) (July 1998 est.)