Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
An Unparalleled Boom
Between the violence of the conquest, the chaos of the early republic and the succession
of dictatorships that swallowed up much of the 20th century, stability has been rare in
Peru. But so far, the new millennium has treated the country with uncharacteristic grace.
Peru's economy has grown every year since 2003. Foreign investment is up and the coun-
try's exports - in the areas of agriculture, mining and manufacturing - have been strong.
Tourism is also big: the number of foreign travelers going to Peru doubled between 2003
and 2011 from 1.3 to 2.6 million.
Since 2000 a succession of peaceful elections has also provided political stability. In
2011 former army officer Ollanta Humala was elected to the presidency. The son of a
Quechua labor lawyer from Ayacucho, he has made social inclusion a theme of his presid-
ency. One of his early acts was to make it a legal requirement for native peoples to be con-
sulted on mining or other extractive activities in their territories.
La Catedral on the Plaza de Armas (
Click here
), Cuzco
DANITA DELIMONT /GETTY IMAGES ©
