6 saw the return of Alan GARCIA who,
after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned
to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions and
maintain fiscal responsibility.

Geography
Peru

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: 7,461 km
border countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km,
Colombia 1,800 km, 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 center
(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: 2.88%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.65% (2005)

Irrigated land:

12,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,913 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 20.13 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%)
per capita: 720 cu m/yr (2000)

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