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Peru

Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.

History of Country:  Impressive ruins of large ceremonial temples, flint tools, and signs of the development of weaving, fishing, and horticulture are evidence of several ancient civilizations in Peru. In 1438, the Inca Empire ruled the country for almost a century, until the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro invaded the land in 1532 in search of gold and silver. He founded Lima on the coast and by the 18th century it became the most distinguished colonial capital. Under the colonial government, the Spaniards forced many Indians to work in their gold and silver mines and their plantations. Unable to resist the abuse from the Spanish landlords and to diseases they brought, 80% of the Inca Peru inhabitants had died within 45 years of the conquest.

In the early 1800s, Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar led Peru's movement for independence from Spain. Peru became independent in December 1824. Territorial disputes between Peru and its neighboring countries caused the War of the Pacific in 1883. Continuous boundary disagreements led the Peru government sign various boundary pacts with its neighbors. Since independence, Peru was governed for many years by military dictatorships. The people of Peru have struggled to create a stable economy and a lasting democracy. In 1979, a new constitution was drawn and Morales Bermudez presided over the move to civilian government. However, economic hardship, inflation, and increasing terrorist threats and corruption made development difficult. Today, the government has restored a high degree of democracy to Peru.