South America · PER

Peru

The story · 13 chapters

How it was drawn

From Caral and the Inca to Spain's richest viceroyalty, then a republic that lost its southern deserts to Chile and fought its neighbours over the Amazon.

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Through the ages

Rivals in history

The kingdoms, empires and states Peru fought or stood against, from the first to today.

Chimu kingdom1460 to 1470
The coastal kingdom of Chimor, ruled from Chan Chan, was the last great rival of the Inca. Inca armies under Tupac Inca Yupanqui conquer it around 1470 and carry its king and craftsmen to Cusco.
Spanish Empire1532 to 1572
Francisco Pizarro seizes Atahualpa at Cajamarca in 1532 and has him executed in 1533. Manco Inca besieges Cusco in 1536 and then resists from Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold, which falls in 1572 with the execution of Tupac Amaru.
Spanish Empire1780 to 1826
The revolt of Tupac Amaru II in 1780 is crushed, and Peru stays Spain's royalist stronghold. Armies under San Martin and then Bolivar win at Junin and Ayacucho in 1824, and the last Spanish garrison, at Callao, surrenders in 1826.
Gran Colombia1828 to 1829
Peru and Bolivar's Gran Colombia go to war over Guayaquil and the provinces of Jaen and Maynas. After the battle of Tarqui in February 1829, a peace treaty restores the old borders.
Republic of Ecuador1830 to 1998
The two disagree for over 150 years about the Amazon lands east of the Andes. They fight in 1941, 1981 and 1995. The Rio Protocol of 1942 favours Peru, and a 1998 peace agreement finally marks the whole border.
Republic of Chile1836 to 1839
Chile sees the Peru-Bolivian Confederation of Andres de Santa Cruz as a threat and goes to war with it. Its victory at Yungay in January 1839 breaks the confederation apart.
Kingdom of Spain1864 to 1866
A Spanish squadron seizes the guano-rich Chincha Islands in 1864. Peru, with Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, declares war, and Spain withdraws after bombarding Callao in May 1866.
Republic of Chile1879 to 1929
In the War of the Pacific Chile defeats Peru and Bolivia, occupies Lima in 1881 and takes the nitrate province of Tarapaca. The quarrel over Tacna and Arica lasts until the 1929 Treaty of Lima splits them.
Republic of Colombia1932 to 1934
Peruvian civilians seize the Amazon river port of Leticia, ceded to Colombia in 1922, and the two countries fight a small jungle war. A League of Nations commission steps in, and Leticia returns to Colombia under a 1934 agreement.
Republic of Chile2008 to 2014
Peru takes its sea border with Chile to the International Court of Justice in 2008. The 2014 ruling gives Peru a large area of ocean beyond 80 nautical miles from the coast, while Chile keeps the rich waters close to shore.

Today

Peru now

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980 but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency.

Capital: Lima
Government: presidential republic
Head of state: Keiko Fujimori
Languages: Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
Area: 1,285,216 km²

Through time

Then and now

Population33.8 million2023 · 7.7 million in 1950
Life expectancy77.7 years2023 · 46.0 years in 1950
GDP per person$12,7622022 · $3,679 in 1950
Living in cities86%2025 · 40% in 1950
Literacy94%2024 · 48% in 1950
Political regimeElectoral democracy2025 · Closed autocracy in 1950
Military alliancesRio Pact2024 · Rio Pact in 1950
Military spending0.8% of GDP2025 · 2.8% of GDP in 1950
War deathsNone2025

Population: HYDE 3.3, Gapminder and UN WPP. GDP per capita: Maddison Project Database 2023. Urban share: UN WPP. Life expectancy: Riley, HMD, UN WPP. Literacy: OWID historical estimates, World Bank, UNESCO. Military spending: SIPRI. War deaths: UCDP. Political regime: V-Dem, Regimes of the World. All via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Alliances and organization memberships: compiled by Atlas. Satellites in orbit: CelesTrak SATCAT. Modern borders, backcast.

Relations

Close partners and tensions

Close partners

United States
Brazil
Chile
Argentina

Summarised from World Bank and Wikipedia data, updated 24 October 2026.

Rivals in history

The kingdoms, empires and states Peru fought or stood against, from the first to today.

Chimu kingdom1460 to 1470

The coastal kingdom of Chimor, ruled from Chan Chan, was the last great rival of the Inca. Inca armies under Tupac Inca Yupanqui conquer it around 1470 and carry its king and craftsmen to Cusco.

Spanish Empire1532 to 1572

Francisco Pizarro seizes Atahualpa at Cajamarca in 1532 and has him executed in 1533. Manco Inca besieges Cusco in 1536 and then resists from Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold, which falls in 1572 with the execution of Tupac Amaru.

Spanish Empire1780 to 1826

The revolt of Tupac Amaru II in 1780 is crushed, and Peru stays Spain's royalist stronghold. Armies under San Martin and then Bolivar win at Junin and Ayacucho in 1824, and the last Spanish garrison, at Callao, surrenders in 1826.

Gran Colombia1828 to 1829

Peru and Bolivar's Gran Colombia go to war over Guayaquil and the provinces of Jaen and Maynas. After the battle of Tarqui in February 1829, a peace treaty restores the old borders.

Republic of Ecuador1830 to 1998

The two disagree for over 150 years about the Amazon lands east of the Andes. They fight in 1941, 1981 and 1995. The Rio Protocol of 1942 favours Peru, and a 1998 peace agreement finally marks the whole border.

Republic of Chile1836 to 1839

Chile sees the Peru-Bolivian Confederation of Andres de Santa Cruz as a threat and goes to war with it. Its victory at Yungay in January 1839 breaks the confederation apart.

Kingdom of Spain1864 to 1866

A Spanish squadron seizes the guano-rich Chincha Islands in 1864. Peru, with Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, declares war, and Spain withdraws after bombarding Callao in May 1866.

Republic of Chile1879 to 1929

In the War of the Pacific Chile defeats Peru and Bolivia, occupies Lima in 1881 and takes the nitrate province of Tarapaca. The quarrel over Tacna and Arica lasts until the 1929 Treaty of Lima splits them.

Republic of Colombia1932 to 1934

Peruvian civilians seize the Amazon river port of Leticia, ceded to Colombia in 1922, and the two countries fight a small jungle war. A League of Nations commission steps in, and Leticia returns to Colombia under a 1934 agreement.

Republic of Chile2008 to 2014

Peru takes its sea border with Chile to the International Court of Justice in 2008. The 2014 ruling gives Peru a large area of ocean beyond 80 nautical miles from the coast, while Chile keeps the rich waters close to shore.

Peru now

Capital

Lima

Government

presidential republic

Head of state

Keiko Fujimori

Languages

Aymara, Quechua, Spanish

Area

1,285,216 km²

Then and now

Population33.8 million2023 · 7.7 million in 1950

Life expectancy77.7 years2023 · 46.0 years in 1950

GDP per person$12,7622022 · $3,679 in 1950

Living in cities86%2025 · 40% in 1950

Literacy94%2024 · 48% in 1950

Political regimeElectoral democracy2025 · Closed autocracy in 1950

Military alliancesRio Pact2024 · Rio Pact in 1950

Military spending0.8% of GDP2025 · 2.8% of GDP in 1950

War deathsNone2025