Portal:Peru

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the country in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Peru is a presidential representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon basin. It is a developing country with a medium Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 40%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles. The Peruvian population, estimated at 28 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. Template:/box-footer Qoyllur Rit'i is a religious festival held annually in honor of the Lord of Qoyllur Rit'i (Spanish: Señor de Qoyllur Rit'i) at the Sinakara Valley in the Cusco Region of Peru. According to local traditions, the celebration originated in 1780, when a young native herder called Mariano Mayta befriended a mestizo boy, called Manuel on Mount Colquepunku. Thanks to Manuel, Mariano's herd prospered so his father sent him to buy clothes for the two boys in Cusco. Upon hearing the story, the archbishop sent a party to investigate but when they tried to grab Manuel, he became a bush with an image of Christ hanging from it. Thinking they had harmed his friend, Mariano died on the spot and was buried under a rock. An image of Christ painted over this boulder became known as the Lord of Qoyllur Rit'i. The Qoyllur Rit'i festival attracts a large number of peasants from the surrounding regions divided in two moieties. Paucartambo groups Quechuas from the agricultural regions to the northwest of the sanctuary while Quispicanchis includes Aymaras from the pastoral regions to the southeast. Both moieties make an annual pilgrimage to the feast bringing large troupes of dancers and musicians in four main styles: ch'unchu, qolla, ukuku and machula. Besides peasant pilgrims, attendants include middle class Peruvians and foreign tourists. The festival takes place in late May or early June, one week before the Christian feast of Corpus Christi. (more...) The Battle of Arica took place on June 7, 1880 during the War of the Pacific when Chilean forces led by Colonel Pedro Lagos attacked the port city of Arica, defended by a Peruvian garrison under the command of Colonel Francisco Bolognesi. After heavy fighting the battle ended with a Chilean victory and the death of several Peruvian high-ranking officers including Bolognesi and Alfonso Ugarte. This oil painting by Peruvian artist Juan Lepiani depicts Bolognesi's final moments. (more...) The Battle of Callao (in Spanish, sometimes called el Combate del Dos de Mayo in South America, or Guerra del Pacífico in Spain) occurred on May 2, 1866 between a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez and an alliance of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Ecuador, in the Peruvian port city of Callao during the Chincha Islands War. The Spanish fleet bombarded the port of Callao (or El Callao), but eventually withdrew without any major damage to the city structures. (more...) More anniversaries... August 2, 2011 Peru government to ration energy in north. Reuters August 1, 2011 Peru to beef up state energy companies -minister. Reuters July 28, 2011 Ollanta Humala is sworn in as new Peru president. BBC July 28, 2011 Pisco sours and ceviche for Peruvian Independence Day. CNN July 26, 2011 Peru renews $5 bln shelf registration for new govt. Reuters Template:/box-footer ...that the city of Cusco (pictured), the former capital of the Inca Empire, has the highest ultraviolet light level on Earth? ...that in the 1990s, the Peruvian economy underwent a process of liberalization which discarded protectionism and privatized state companies? ...that in the 1941 Ecuadorian-Peruvian war a Peruvian paratroop unit carried out the first airborne combat operation in the Western Hemisphere? ...that it has been suggested that climate changes provoked by an El Niño event played an important part in the collapse of the Moche civilization? ...that in 1984, during the internal conflict in Peru, members of the Peruvian Army massacred 123 men, women and children in the town of Putis? Peru Culture • Architecture • Art • Cinema • Literature • Music • Cuisine • Dances • Media • National symbols • Sport Economy • Agriculture • Energy • Mining • Tourism • Companies • Currencies • Trade unions Geography • Geology • Landforms • Natural disasters • Populated places • Protected areas • Subdivisions Government • Foreign relations • Political office-holders History • Andean • Inca • Colonial • Military • Disasters • Elections • Massacres • Historians • Revolutionaries Politics • Elections • Political parties • Politicians Society • Crime • Demographics • Ethnic groups • Languages • ReligionTemplate:/box-footer Assess and prioritise articles (log) Check for copyvios at Special:Contributions/Priscilla D, tag as {{Db-copyvio}} where appropriate Create: Expand: new articles; top importance articles FAC / FLC: Peru national football team GAN: Merge requests: Amazonas before the Inca Empire, Chachapoyas culture Review: Shining Path, Universitario de Deportes Translate: National University of San Marcos 15px Work on Lima, the current article improvement drive Wikify: articles needing attentionTemplate:/box-footer Template:/box-footer Template:/box-footer Template:/box-footer The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: What are portals? 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