Peru

Quick Facts: Who was Peru?

Subject:

Peru

Known for:

A megadiverse South American nation with a civilization history spanning millennia.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a megadiverse country, with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west, to the peaks of the Andes mountains extending from the north to the southeast of the country, to the tropical Amazon basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon River. Peru has a population of over 32 million, and its capital and largest city is Lima. At 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi), Peru is the 19th largest country in the world, and the third largest in South America.

Career & Major Achievements

Peruvian territory was home to several cultures during the ancient and medieval periods, and has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country, tracing its heritage back to the 10th millennium BCE Caral–Supe civilization, the earliest civilization in the Americas and considered one of the cradles of civilization. Notable succeeding cultures and civilizations include the Nazca culture, the Moche, Wari and Tiwanaku empires, the Kingdom of Cusco, and the Inca Empire, the largest known state in the pre-Columbian Americas. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and Charles V established a viceroyalty with the official name of the Kingdom of Peru that encompassed most of its South American territories, with its capital in Lima. Higher education started in the Americas with the official establishment of the National University of San Marcos in Lima in 1551. Peru formally proclaimed independence from Spain in 1821, and following the military campaigns of Bernardo O'Higgins, José de San Martín, and Simón Bolívar, as well as the decisive battle of Ayacucho, it completed its independence in 1824.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In the ensuing years, the country first suffered from political instability until a period of relative economic and political stability began due to the exploitation of guano that ended with the War of the Pacific (1879–1884). Throughout the 20th century, Peru grappled with political and social instability, including the internal conflict between the state and guerrilla groups, interspersed with periods of economic growth. Implementation of Plan Verde shifted Peru towards neoliberal economics under the authoritarian rule of Alberto Fujimori and Vladimiro Montesinos in the 1990s, with the former's political ideology of Fujimorism leaving a lasting imprint on the country's governance that continues to the present day. The 2000s marked economic expansion and poverty reduction, but the subsequent decade revealed long-existing sociopolitical vulnerabilities, exacerbated by a political crisis instigated by Congress and the COVID-19 pandemic, precipitating the period of unrest beginning in 2022. The sovereign state of Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1551: 1551 Milestone — Higher education started in the Americas with the official establishment of the National University of San Marcos in Lima in 1551.
2. 1821: 1821 Milestone — Peru formally proclaimed independence from Spain in 1821, and following the military campaigns of Bernardo O'Higgins, José de San Martín, and Simón Bolívar, as well as the decisive battle of Ayacucho, it completed its independence in 1824.
3. 1879: 1879 Milestone — In the ensuing years, the country first suffered from political instability until a period of relative economic and political stability began due to the exploitation of guano that ended with the War of the Pacific (1879–1884).
4. 2022: 2022 Milestone — The 2000s marked economic expansion and poverty reduction, but the subsequent decade revealed long-existing sociopolitical vulnerabilities, exacerbated by a political crisis instigated by Congress and the COVID-19 pandemic, precipitating the period of unrest beginning in 2022.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Peru

True or False: “The Caral-Supe civilization is considered the earliest complex society in the Americas, flourishing between 3000 and 1800 BCE.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): This early culture along the Pacific coast predates many other known major civilizations in the region.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Henry III of France — Historical peer (Born in 1551) (1551): King of France and Poland, whose reign was marked by the devastating Wars of Religion.
• Aleksey Pisemsky — Historical peer (Born in 1821) (1821): A prominent Russian novelist and dramatist, contemporary to Turgenev and Dostoyevsky.
• Arthur Cayley — Historical peer (Born in 1821) (1821): Pioneering English mathematician, instrumental in founding modern algebra and group theory.
• Agustín de Iturbide — Historical peer (Died in 1824) (1824): Mexican military officer and politician who became the first Emperor of Mexico.
• Alexandre Dumas fils — Historical peer (Born in 1824) (1824): Master French playwright and novelist, celebrated for 'The Lady of the Camellias'.
• Agha Hashar Kashmiri — Historical peer (Born in 1879) (1879): Pioneering Urdu poet, playwright, and dramatist known for Shakespearean adaptations.
• Agrippina Vaganova — Historical peer (Born in 1879) (1879): Foundational Russian ballerina and creator of the influential Vaganova method.
• Alexander Belyaev — Historical peer (Born in 1884) (1884): Pioneering Soviet science fiction writer, known as 'Russia's Jules Verne'
• Alexander Bustamante — Historical peer (Born in 1884) (1884): Pioneering Jamaican politician, labor leader, and first Prime Minister of independent Jamaica.

Frequently Asked Questions about Peru