History

Earliest Civilizations:

  • Peru is a very old country!
  • People have been living in Peru for more than 13,000 years!
  • Archeologists have found hunting tools dating back to 11,000 years.
  • Peru was ruled by many different ancient civilizations. Ancient means old, and Civilizations means very big communities
  • Nazca and Tiwanaku are two examples of civilizations that lived in Peru
  • They planted corn and cotton, and domesticated llamas. Domesticated means tamed
  • They created farming societies.
  • The oldest known city in the Americas is Caral.

 

Inca Empire/Pre-Columbian America:

  • The Incas started as a small civilization in the Cuzco Valley, in the Andes region.
  • They conquered other parts of Peru. After some time they controlled almost all of Peru!
  • The Inca empire ruled the region of Peru from 1428 to 1532. Thats over 100 years!
  • Their main language was Quechua. It is pronounced “keh-choo-ah”
  • People in Peru still speak Quechua.
  • The Incas built advanced societies and created intricate architecture.
  • You can visit their greatest creation, Machu Picchu, in the Andes Mountains.
  • They built stonewalls that were very beautiful and strong. People still go there today to see the stonework!

Colonial Period:

  • The Inca Empire had a lot of money and resources
  • Because they were so rich, Spanish interest to take over Peru grew
  • In November 1533, the Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro, conquered Cuzco. They continued to capture the rest of the Inca empire.
  • In 1535, Pizarro established a new city, Lima.
  • Lima is now the capital of Peru.
  • The Incan Natives wanted control of Peru back so they fought with the invading Spanish
  • By 1572, all of Peru was controlled by Spanish colonies

Independence:

  • In the 1700s people in Peru were unhappy with Spanish rulers
  • General Jose de San Martin led an army of 3,000 men and conquered Lima in 1820.
  • General Martin declared independence from Spanish rule on July 28, 1821.
  • The people of Peru celebrate Independence day every year on this day.

1900- Today:

  • Over the years, many different groups fought over Peru so the economy suffered. Economy means marketplace
  • Finally in 1992, Alberto Fujimori was elected president of Peru and helped Peru get back on its feet.
  • Today, Peru’s economy is growing and poverty is decreasing.

Government:

  • Peru is a constitutional republic. This means a president is elected by citizens every five years.
  • The president is the head of state. The current president is Ollanta Humala. He was elected in 2011.
  • The president chooses a prime minister, who right now is Pedro Cateriano,
  • The president also chooses his council of ministers.
    • They are part of the executive government.
    • The executive government makes sure the law is being followed.
    • Only the president has executive powers.
  • 130 congress members are elected every five years. They help make decisions about which laws should be passed.