g form: Republic of Peru
conventional short form: Peru
local long form: Republica del Peru
local short form: Peru

Government type:

constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Lima
geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)

Administrative divisions:

25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province*
(provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho,
Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La
Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua,
Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Independence:

28 July 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Constitution:

29 December 1993

Legal system:

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; note
- for the first time in recent elections, members of the military
and national police were eligible to vote in the 2006 elections

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 2006);
First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice President
Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July
2006); First Vice President Luis GIAMPIETRI Rojas; Second Vice
President Lourdes MENDOZA del Solar (since 28 July 2006)
note: Prime Minister Yehude SIMON Munaro (since 14 October 2008)
does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the
president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a nonconsecutive reelection); presidential and
congressional elections held 9 April 2006 with runoff election held
4 June 2006; next to be held in April 2011
election results: Alan GARCIA elected president in runoff election;
percent of vote - Alan GARCIA 52.5%, Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 47.5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la
Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 21.2%, PAP 20.6%,
UN 15.3%,