Cultural Geography Peru
Tie3D
PoliticalGeographyofPeru.pptxPolitical Geography of Peru
Political Geography of Peru
Peru’s national flag is made up of three equal vertical stripes of red, white, and red. Red symbolizes bloodshed and white symbolizes peace and justice. This flag has a number of variants with different emblems on the white stripe. They serve different unique occasions and purposes.
Miraflores, a famous district in Liwa. It is majorly made up of restaurants, hotels, bars and nightclubs along with a wide range of high-end shopping facilities
Country Name: Republic of Peru
Capital City: Lima
Date of Independence: 28 July 1821
National Holiday: Independence Day, 28-29 July
Type of government: Presidential Republic
Number of administrative divisions: 25 regions
Peru’s Official flag
Other conventional and local names: Republica del Peru, and Peru
The country’s capital city Lima originates from the word "Lima" derived from the Spanish pronunciation of "Limaq," the native name for the valley in which the city was built in 1535. “Limaq" means "talker" in coastal Quechua and referred to an oracle that was situated in the valley but which was eventually destroyed by the Spanish and replaced with a church ("South America :: Peru — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency").
The administrative units in Peru comprises of 25 regions and 1 province namely: Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali ("South America :: Peru — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency").
The Lima Province, in which the city of Lima is found, does not belong to any of the other regions of the country.
2
The Dominant Nation
Nationality: Peruvian
Population of Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white): About 19,571,020
Means of Acquiring Citizenship: By Birth, Descent, Dual Citizenship and Naturalization
Peruvian culture is an interesting blend of Hispanic and native traditions which have been successfully preserved and developed amidst the interference brought about by globalization.
Mestizo is a term mostly used in Spain and Spanish America to mean an individual of a mixed Amerindian and European descent regardless of where they were born. The term did not however have a fixed meaning in the colonial period. It was majorly a formal label for individuals in official documentation, such as censuses, parish registers, Inquisition trials, and other matters. Individuals were also labeled by priests and royal officials as mestizos, but the term was also used for self identification. The Mestizos population grew and by mid 20th Century, the group made up about 53% of the population surpassing the Indian population. Today, most of them live in the urban areas with others having significant European inheritance.
The Predominant religion in Peru is the Roman Catholic, making up over 60% of the country’s religion. There are also other Christian faiths. Additionally, the Indigenous Peruvians have over time blended Catholic beliefs and their traditional values and beliefs.
Peru is traditionally termed as a country with a developing economy that is majorly dependent on exporting its raw materials and importing manufactured goods. It is one of the leading fishing countries in the world and is also one of the largest producers of bismuth, silver, and copper. For generations, Peru has also been an agricultural-based society with almost a third of its working population doing farming activities.
Peruvian Cuisine is unique. Different foods are enjoyed in both the coast and the highlands even though both rely heavily on soups and rice as dietary staples. Seafood and plantains are typical of the coastal diet, while different kinds of meat, corn, and potatoes are mostly found in the highlands. Ceviche, fish marinated in ají, a hot sauce made mainly from spicy peppers, tomato, onions and lemon, is an example of a particular Peruvian delicacy.
3
Ethnic Groups and Stateless Nations
Minority groups include Afro-Peruvians (around 3 million), and Asian-Peruvian community consisting of persons of Chinese descent and Japanese descent (Less than 500,000).
Afro-Peruvians mostly live in the southern coastal region, in cities such as Ica and Nazca, and have been known to contribute a lot to the blend of religion, language and food to Peru’s cultural heritage. One of the major Afro-Peruvian food is Carapulcra which is a stew made up of dried potatoes, pork, wine, chocolate, and Peruvian peppers known as ají, along with other complex flavorings such as cloves, cinnamon, onions and garlic (Carroll, 2017). They are predominantly Roman Catholics.
Asian-Peruvians include Chinese and Japanese Peruvians. These are Asians who are the descendants of Asian immigrants who moved in in the mid-19th Century to work on plantations. Over the years, they have had unique influences on Peruvian culture. One of the most obvious Asian influences in Peru is of course through its cuisine. They practice Buddhism, Catholicism and Shintoism.
A section of China town on Calle Capón
The cajón, an Afro-Peruvian traditional music instrument
Afro-Peruvians: Ica and Nazca cities
Asian-Americans: Lima, La Libertad, and Lambayeque cities
Lima, Cusco and Iquitos, among many other Peruvian cities boast of having chifas, or Chinese Peruvian restaurants. Lima additionally has an extensive Chinatown section located on Calle Capón where one can find a host of chifa restaurants and fascinating shops full of Chinese herbal medicines and imported foods and spices not found elsewhere in Peru (Carroll, 2017). The Asian Cuisine among many other unique customs, languages and mode of dressing has contributed majorly to the diverse Peruvian culture.
Of the numerous traditional instruments used in the Afro-Peruvian music, the cajón is the main percussive instrument and an important part of its orchestration. Afro-Peruvian music originates from the communities of black slaves brought to Peru by the Spanish to work in the mines along the Pacific coast. Slave owners prohibited musical instruments with the intention of crushing the spirit of the slaves who in turn invented new ways of making sound including a simple box or tea chest, which became known as the cajon (Carroll, 2017). Over time, the instrument has become a crucial part of other genres in the Peruvian coast such as the zamacueca, marinera and vals limeño.
4
Political Geography in the News
Who’s in Charge in Peru? Peruvians Can’t Agree
The newspaper article from the New York Times dated 1st October 2019 by Anatoly Kurmanaev and Andrea Zarate sheds light on one of the worst political crisis Peru has ever had. The president dissolved the Congress, Congress then moved to suspend the president, and the vice president, who had taken over office to lead the country, renounced her position as well (Kurmanaev & Zarate, 2019). Mercedes Aráoz, the country’s vice president resigned arguing that the country had lost its constitutional order. Peru has been plagued by numerous cases of abuse of power and corruption in its political system for years with three of its former presidents under investigations and another killing himself to avoid arrest. When the president confronted the opposition influencing the Congress and accused them of undermining his fight against corruption and his efforts to make political reforms, the Congress pushed for his suspension.
Several Peruvians celebrated the president’s decision to root out the corrupt leaders, while others were concerned with the history of Congress’ dissolution in 1992 by Alberto Fujimora who argued for a national rebirth but ended up ruling the country with an iron fist.
Corruption and abuse of office are the dominant issues affecting the political system of the country. The Peruvian Constitution dictates that the president can dissolve Congress if it twice denies his cabinet a vote of confidence. Over the past year, Mr. Martin Vizcarra, the country’s president asked for that vote on three occassions, using a constitutional mechanism to package reform proposals as a vote of confidence in his cabinet. In all instances, Congress approved his cabinet but disregarded his proposals. However, “Mr. Vizcarra argued that Congress’s sleight of hand constituted a de facto vote of no confidence, giving him the right to shut down the legislature and call new elections” (Kurmanaev & Zarate, 2019).
The constitutional crisis of 1992 was fueled by then president Alberto Fujimori who is the father of the current opposition leader, Keiko Fujimori. He dissolved the parliament with the notion of giving Peru a national rebirth. To everyone’s surprise, he took a turn for the worse and dismantled the court system and staffed government institutions with people loyal to him. He also violated an array of human rights in his quest to get rid of any opposition. His daughter’s party still holds a majority influence in Congress, facilitating all forms of political decay without any significant resistance from its opponents.
5
Nation- State Analysis
Nation-states are countries whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity. They are basically states dominated by members of one nation. Although there is no defined criteria to determine nation-states, 90% of a state’s population ought to strongly identify itself as belonging to a specific nation ("Nation-State | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization" ). Peru on the other is a multiethnic state made up of more than one ethnic groups.
Competing political parties have continued to fuel racial division among their supporters over the years, with each ethnic group fighting for a representation in the government. Over two thirds of close to 70,00 victims of the political conflict in 1980s and 1990s, according to the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, were indigenous people of Quechua, Aymara or Amazonian origins.
Territorial Morphology
Peru’s administrative divisions
Territorial morphology of a state refers to its size, shape and relative location. There are five categories of territorial morphologies namely; compact, fragmented, elongated, perforated and protruded ("Territorial Morphology," n.d.). Peru is elongated meaning it is long and narrow. There are several impacts of having an elongated morphology. Due to its long distances between boundaries, the climate between the two furthest points tends varies significantly. Food types and access are usually wide and varied as well as the state’s cultural elements. States also have many neighbors, which means multiple trading partners as well as more potential conflict. There is also significant ethnic diversity which slows down the enactment and implementation as all sides must be heard.
Centripetal versus Centrifugal Forces
Centripetal forces are aimed at bringing people together, promoting peace, harmony and order. Peru, being among the twenty biggest countries globally is known for its great cultural diversity. Its different dances, customs, languages and cuisines have continued to co-exist and develop for centuries with each ethnic group appreciating the other’s culture.
Centrifugal forces bring about conflicts, discrimination, disruption of internal order and work towards tearing a state apart, ultimately dividing its citizens. While some regions of Peru have reported a steady economic growth, others remain very poor, causing substantial regional inequalities. The poorest regions of the country are often the ones that are the most rural. Such disparities gradually contribute economic instability and brew resentment and dissatisfaction from the people who feel sidelined in the country’s development.
One of the congested informal settlements in Peru
Despite the fact has reported several cases of human rights violations, corruption, social, economic discrimination and political marginalization, it has continued to be one of the fastest-growing economies in the region for two decades. It enjoys macroeconomic stability, a strong mining sector, an open economy, and growing agro-industry and services sectors. Its favorable economy and great cultural diversity has attracted businessmen and tourists from all over the world. The people are also making efforts to come together, tolerate one another’s cultural diversity and work together to ensure that the country’s challenges are dealt with adequately.
8
Reflection
Peru is divided into three regions: The Pacific Coastal Strip, The Highlands, and the Jungle. The coast features deserts, magnificent beaches and fertile lowlands. The highlands on the other hand is the mountainous region dominated by the Andes while the jungle covers a vast area of tropical vegetation in the Amazon River Basin. Peru is the third-largest state in South America after Brazil and Argentina, and is among the 20 largest nations in the world.
Peru consists of a large number of ethnic groups. Throughout its history, because of its strategic location, Peru has been the preferred destination for settlement for different ethnicities and cultures. The indigenous population was joined about five centuries ago by the Spanish. In the aftermath of this interaction, which was later enriched by the migration of African blacks, Asians and Europeans, the Peruvian man emerged as the symbol of a nation whose rich ethnic blend distinguishes it from the rest.
There exist minority ethnic groups which include Afro-Peruvian and Asian-Peruvian communities. Cumulatively, they make up less than 10% of the total population. These communities have been able to preserve their culture and customs for centuries despite globalization and marginalization by the political and economic system. Their cuisine, dressing style, language and music have contributed significantly to the Peruvian culture.
References
Carroll, T. (2017, September 29). Afro-Peruvian History and Its Influence on Peruvian Culture Today. Retrieved from https://www.kuodatravel.com/background-afro-peruvian-history-influence-peruvian-culture-today/
Kurmanaev, A., & Zarate, A. (2019, October 1). Who’s in Charge in Peru? Peruvians Can’t Agree - The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/world/americas/peru-congress-dissolved.html
Nation-State | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/nation-state/
Peru maintains stable economic growth, unlike other countries in the region | Peru 2017 | Oxford Business Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/overview/going-strong-unlike-other-countries-region-peru-has-been-able-maintain-stable-growth
South America :: Peru — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pe.html
Territorial Morphology. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/863/Territorial%20Morphology%20lecture%202.ppt
