The
administrative divisions of Peru
have changed from time to time since the nation gained
independence
from
Spain
in the early 19th century. The old territorial subdivisions have split or merged due to several reasons, the most common ones being the need for
decentralization
and population increase, especially in
Lima
.
History
[
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]
Peru was divided into 24
departments
(
departamentos
; singular:
departamento
) until the creation of the
regions
in 2002. These regions are governed by
Regional Governments
. Many people still use the old
departamentos
term when referring to the current regions of Peru, although it is now obsolete. The departments were identical to today's regions, with the exception of two new regions (
Callao
and
Lima
). Before the 2002 changeover, the province of Lima (which is basically the city of Lima) was part of the Lima department, and the city of Callao had the special status of
Provincia Constitucional
(constitutional province). When the regionalization law was passed, the
Callao region
was created from the former constitutional province, and the province of Lima separated from the rest of the Lima department, which in turn came to form the new
Lima Region
. A failed attempt to divide the country into
twelve autonomous regions
had previously been made during the 1980s under the government of
Alan Garcia
.
Districts
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For a new district to be legally established, a 1982 law requires a minimum number of residents to live in the area: 3,500 if it is located in the
rainforest
, 4,000 in the
Andes
highlands, and 10,000 in the
coastal
area.
In the dry Andean area, many districts have fewer than 3,500 inhabitants. In some cases, their populations have decreased in comparison to the days when they were founded. Districts that are located at very high altitudes tend to be scarcely populated. These districts are usually large in area but have little available level land for use. Many basic government services do not reach all residents of these districts due to their difficult geography. Many such districts lack the financial means to govern their whole jurisdictions and often have high
emigration
rates.
A similar pattern can be observed in many districts located in the Peruvian
Amazon rainforest
. Once important settlements created during the era of
colonization
, they now do not offer much space for
agriculture
. Deeper into the jungle, the districts of the
selva baja
(
lower jungle
) have higher populations living in geographically large districts. Districts located outside the former colonized area have very low populations, which are entirely composed of native
Amazonian
tribes.
All over the country, many districts have higher populations than the minimum required by law. This is true of the colonized areas of the rainforest and the northern Andes, as well as in the southern Andes from
Huancayo
to the shores of
Lake Titicaca
, which is the historical heartland of the Peruvian highlands. These districts are old centers of civilization; they tend to be smaller in area, with high population densities since
pre-Hispanic
times.
Districts in the
Chala
(coastal area) tend to be mid-sized, except in low-density areas such as the
Sechura desert
and part of the southern coast. All have gained large populations due to emigration from other regions of the country, which has turned the Peruvian coast into the country's main economic powerhouse.
Districts with a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants should ideally be subdivided, particularly if they are also large in area, as is the case in part of the Amazon rainforest. Settlement can happen quickly and boundaries of districts are often not modified, except in large
urban
areas. This is less of a problem on the coast, where communication is easier. However, reaching large populations remain a problem in this area.
[1]
Current division
[
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]
Clickable map of the regions of Peru
Peru
's territory, according to the Regionalization Law, which was passed on November 18, 2002, is divided into 26 units: 25
regions
(
regiones
; singular:
region
) and the
Lima Province
. The regions are subdivided into
provinces
(
provincias
), which are composed of
districts
(
distritos
). There are 196 provinces and 1,869 districts in Peru.
[2]
The
Lima Province
, located in the central coast of the country, is unique in that it does not belong to any of the twenty-five regions. (The city of
Lima
, which is the nation's capital, is located in this province.)
Callao
is also its own region, containing only one province, the
Constitutional Province of Callao
.
References
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]
External links
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]