Country statistics    Population 27.6 million Land mass 496,223 square miles People per square mile 55.6 Life expectancy 70.4 years Under age 5 mortality rate 25/1,000 Literacy rate 88% Access to safe water 83% Average annual income US$2,920 Religion Christian 83.1% Other/unspecified/none 16.9%

In Peru, children continue to be the most vulnerable and unprotected citizens. Of the 3.8 million people living in extreme poverty, 2.1 million are children, with more than 60% of the under-18 population living below the poverty line. Peru is primarily a source country for women and children trafficked within the country for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Most victims are girls and young women recruited from rural areas and lured or coerced into prostitution in urban nightclubs, bars, and brothels. Peruvians also are trafficked for sexual exploitation to Spain, Italy, Japan, and the United States. The government acknowledges that child sex tourism exists, particularly in the Amazon region of the country. Children and adults also are trafficked into conditions of forced labor in Peru's mining, logging, and brick-making sectors, and as domestic servants. In Iquitos, Peru No one takes a second glance when a foreign-looking man who appears to be in his 50s strolls by, arm in arm, with a teenage girl.

Human rights workers and children's advocates say the sight is not uncommon and that apathy toward it is one of the reasons why child prostitution is on the rise in this tropical city of half a million people.

Although a law passed two years ago makes it illegal to solicit sex with a minor, "authorities aren't interested in following up".

The problem is complicated and is related to both local culture and poverty. Many girls are lured into prostitution by a family member, sometimes even a parent, or a neighbor with the promise of quick cash. There are more than 1,000 minors in Iquitos are involved in prostitution. It is estimated that about half of the 600 male inmates in the Iquitos prison, which was built to house 300, were arrested on charges of rape of a minor under age 14.

Part of the problem is a social attitude that views sex with adolescent girls as normal. It's not seen as a crime, people think that's the way it is. Here, anyone is a potential client."

With its scenic location, surrounded by rain forest at the confluence of several rivers that flow into the mighty Amazon, Iquitos is a popular tourist destination. While there have been reports of foreign tourists luring children for sex or pornography, most people who solicit sex with minors are local residents.

History

When the Spanish arrived in Peru in 1531, the country's territory was the nucleus of the highly developed Inca civilization. Centered at Cuzco, the Inca Empire extended over a vast region from northern Ecuador to central Chile. In search of Inca wealth, the Spanish explorer, Francisco Pizarro, who arrived in the territory after the Incas had fought a debilitating civil war, conquered the weakened people. The Spanish had captured the Incan capital at Cuzco by 1533 and consolidated their control by 1542. Gold and silver from the Andes enriched the conquerors, and Peru became the principal source of Spanish wealth and power in South America.

Peru's independence movement was led by José de San Martín of Argentina and Simón Bolívar of Venezuela. San Martín proclaimed Peruvian independence from Spain on July 28, 1821. Emancipation was completed in December 1824, when General Antonio Jose de Sucre defeated the Spanish troops at Ayacucho, ending Spanish rule in South America. Spain made futile attempts to regain its former colonies, but in 1879 it finally recognized Peru's independence.

After independence, Peru and its neighbors engaged in intermittent territorial disputes. Following a clash between Peru and Ecuador in 1941, the Rio Protocol sought to establish the boundary between the two countries. In late 1999, the governments of Peru and Chile likewise finally implemented the last outstanding article of their 1929 border agreement.

The military has been prominent in Peruvian history. Coups have repeatedly interrupted civilian constitutional government. The most recent period of military rule (1968-80) began when Gen. Juan Velasco Alvarado overthrew elected President Fernando Belaunde Terry of the Popular Action Party.

The government under President Alejandro Toledo, who took office on July 28, 2001, restored a high degree of democracy to Peru following the authoritarianism and corruption of mathematician-turned-politician Alberto Fujimori. In 2006, former president Alan Garcia returned to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions and maintain fiscal responsibility.

Despite an eight percent growth rate in 2007 in the total market value of all goods and services, 53 percent of Peruvians live in poverty and nearly a third of the population lives on less than $2 per day. The unemployment rate is more than seven percent, but underemployment is widespread throughout the country. Poverty reduction strategies by the government have not had sustainable results in recent years due to administrative reorganizations and a reduction in the public spending budget.

The World Food Program classifies up to 25 percent of Peru’s population as extremely poor, given their living conditions and limited income (less than $1 per day). These people, who primarily live in the rural and mountain range areas, are considered to be food insecure because of low food availability and an insufficient basic minimum diet. The average daily intake of calories for people in this region is only 88 percent of the minimum daily intake required.

The HIV prevalence rate in Peru, while still less than one percent, has grown over the past three years. Today, more than 93,000 Peruvians are living with HIV and AIDS. Food or waterborne diseases common in the country are bacteria infections such as leptospirosis, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. Other maladies include dengue fever, malaria, Oroya fever, and yellow fever. Health-care services in Peru have improved in the last decade, but access to health care in rural and mountainous areas is still inadequate.

Education

The typical school year runs from April through December. There are private and public schools. Although grades one through 12 are free, public education is not available for many of the poor and those in remote, rural areas.

According to law, all Peruvians have the right to attend school. Therefore, the government has created public schools to ensure it to those who are not able to pay high amounts to get an education. But in reality, many families live on US$1.00 a day, and even public schools require some payments such as registration fees (that are cheap), uniforms, books, school supplies, bus fares, etc., which make it impossible for many children to attend. 

In the Amazon jungle and the high Andean towns, there are very few schools and a tremendous lack of teachers. Additionally, many people who are farmers in rural areas do not send their children to school because they are needed to help at the farm or to help their mothers with household chores. 

A middle-class family may send their children to attend school and finish a career, but in Peru it is not easy to find jobs. Therefore, many professionals perform simple jobs, such as driving taxis, and the majority of professionals emigrate out of the country. 

Religion

Peru's Constitution establishes separation of Church and State; however, it recognizes the Catholic Church's role as "an important element in the historical, cultural and moral development of the nation." The constitution specifically prohibits discrimination based on religion; however, the Church is given preferential treatment in education, tax benefits and other areas.

All faiths are free to establish places of worship, train clergy and proselytize. Religious denominations or churches are not required to register with the government or apply for a license.

Conversion from one religion to another is respected and missionaries are allowed to enter the country and proselytize without following any special procedures. Some non-Catholic missionary groups claim that the law discriminates against them by taxing religious materials, including Bibles, that they bring into the country, while the Catholic Church has not been taxed on such items.

The General Education law mandates that all schools, public and private, impart religious education as part of the curriculum throughout the education process (primary and secondary). Catholicism is the only sect of Christianity taught in public schools. Some non-Catholic parochial or secular private schools have been granted exemptions from this requirement. It is mandatory for school authorities to appoint religious education teachers upon individual recommendations and approval by the presiding bishop of the local diocese.

Parents who do not wish their children to participate in the mandatory religion classes must request an exemption in writing from the school principal. Non-Catholics who wish their children to receive a religious education in their own faith are free to organize such classes, at their own expense, during the weekly hour allotted by the school for religious education; however, they must supply their own teacher.

Culture

Art

Peru is rich with Indian art forms, neighborhood theaters and literature, including the world-renowned works of Mario Vargas Llosa. Peruvian opera singer, Juan Diego Flores, who sings in Italy, is known in Peru as the "Successor of Pavarotti."

Music

"Andean Blues" is a beautiful, melancholy style of music about the hardships of the poor and it protests social injustice.

Romantic songs are also popular in Peru. The Marinera and Tondero, romantic songs with lively tunes, are typical of the northern coast.

Festejo is Afro-Peruvian music that has a lively tune in which singers lament the hardships of their ancestors' lives as slaves. 

Holidays and Festivals

New Year's Day, Jan. 1: a lively celebration with Latin music and firecrackers.  Festivities start at midnight and end around 4 or 5 a.m.

Holy Week, March or April: The week before Easter when Peruvians attend church services to remember Jesus' death and resurrection.

Labor Day, May 1

Independence Day, July 28 and 29: Parades and a two-week vacation for students.

Christmas, Dec. 25: In Lima and in all big cities located along the coast, celebrations include a "party of love" or "children's party" on the 24th. Christmas dinner traditionally includes turkey or chicken, baked potatoes, salad and hot chocolate with paneton, an Italian-style fruitcake. In the Andes, people attend a midnight church service to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus. On Jan. 6, Peruvians dressed as the three Wise Men bring gifts for the children. Peru's poor economy has limited these traditions to the middle and upper classes.

Sports and Games

Peruvian boys play soccer and girls play volleyball. Surfing, popular among the middle and upper classes, is popular in Lima and on the northern coast of Peru. Twenty-one-year-old Peruvian Sofía Mulanovich recently won the world championship in surfing.

Typical Foods

Typical Peruvian foods include ceviche (fish and seafood marinated in lemon juice with spices and onions), rice, beef, pork (baked or fried with spices), potatoes, corn and fruit. Potatoes originated in Peru and there is a wide variety of dishes made with potatoes throughout the country.