Administrative divisions of Peru

The administrative divisions of Peru have changed from time to time since the nation gained

independence from Spain in the early 19th century. The old territorial subdivisions have split or merged due to several reasons, the most common ones being the need for decentralization and population increase, especially in Lima

.

History

Peru was divided into 24

twelve autonomous regions had previously been made during the 1980s under the government of Alan García

.

Districts

For a new district to be legally established, a 1982 law requires a minimum number of residents to live in the area: 3,500 if it is located in the rainforest, 4,000 in the Andes highlands, and 10,000 in the coastal area.

In the dry Andean area, many districts have fewer than 3,500 inhabitants. In some cases, their populations have decreased in comparison to the days when they were founded. Districts that are located at very high altitudes tend to be scarcely populated. These districts are usually large in area but have little available level land for use. Many basic government services do not reach all residents of these districts due to their difficult geography. Many such districts lack the financial means to govern their whole jurisdictions and often have high emigration rates.

A similar pattern can be observed in many districts located in the Peruvian

Amazonian

tribes.

All over the country, many districts have higher populations than the minimum required by law. This is true of the colonized areas of the rainforest and the northern Andes, as well as in the southern Andes from

pre-Hispanic

times.

Districts in the

Sechura desert

and part of the southern coast. All have gained large populations due to emigration from other regions of the country, which has turned the Peruvian coast into the country's main economic powerhouse.

Districts with a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants should ideally be subdivided, particularly if they are also large in area, as is the case in part of the Amazon rainforest. Settlement can happen quickly and boundaries of districts are often not modified, except in large urban areas. This is less of a problem on the coast, where communication is easier. However, reaching large populations remain a problem in this area.^[1]

Current division

Ama
zonas

Ancash

Apurímac

Arequipa

Ayacucho

Caja
marca

Cusco

Huánuco

Huanca
velica

Ica

Junín

La Libertad

Lamba
yeque

Lima

Lima
Province

Callao

Loreto

Madre de Dios

Moquegua

Pasco

Piura

Puno

Tacna

Tumbes

San
Martín

Ucayali

Clickable map of the regions of Peru

Peru's territory, according to the Regionalization Law, which was passed on November 18, 2002, is divided into 26 units: 25 regions (regiones; singular: región) and the Lima Province. The regions are subdivided into provinces (provincias), which are composed of districts (distritos). There are 196 provinces and 1,869 districts in Peru.^[2]

The Lima Province, located in the central coast of the country, is unique in that it does not belong to any of the twenty-five regions. (The city of Lima, which is the nation's capital, is located in this province.)

Callao is also its own region, containing only one province, the Constitutional Province of Callao.

References

^ (in Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Perú en Mapas Archived 2009-11-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
^ (in Spanish) Sistema Nacional de Estadística Archived 2007-03-21 at the Wayback Machine

External links

(in Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática Archived 1997-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
Peru Info: Information by regions

[1] (in Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Perú en Mapas Archived 2009-11-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 1, 2009.

[2] (in Spanish) Sistema Nacional de Estadística Archived 2007-03-21 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]