The districts of Peru (Spanish : distritos) are the third-level country subdivisions of Peru. They are subdivisions of the provinces, which in turn are subdivisions of the larger regions or departments. There are 1,838 districts in total. [1]
The districts of Peru (Spanish : distritos) are the third-level country subdivisions of Peru. They are subdivisions of the provinces, which in turn are subdivisions of the larger regions or departments. There are 1,838 districts in total. [1]
A 1982 law requires a minimum of residents in an area for a new district to be legally established: 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 less than 3,500 inhabitants due to low population density in the area. 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 usually are large in area, have few available land for use. Many basic government services do not reach all residents of these districts due to their difficult geography. Many lack financial means to govern their whole jurisdictions and they 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 nowadays do not offer much space for agriculture. Deeper into the jungle, the districts of the 'selva alta' (lower jungle) have higher populations living on geographically large districts. Districts located outside the colonized area have very low populations that 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, 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 and tend to be smaller in area with high population densities since prehispanic 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, but all of them feature large populations due to emigration from other regions of the country that 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. Colonization happens quickly and boundaries of districts are often not modified, except in large urban areas. This is less of a problem in the coast where communication is easier. However, reaching to large populations remain a problem in this area. [2]
This is a list of the top twenty Peruvian districts by population, population density, area and elevation (of the district's capital). [3]
| # | District | Province | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Juan de Lurigancho | Lima | Lima | 1,038,495 |
| 2 | San Martín de Porres | Lima | Lima | 654,083 |
| 3 | Ate | Lima | Lima | 599,196 |
| 4 | Comas | Lima | Lima | 520,450 |
| 5 | Callao | Callao | Callao | 451,260 |
| 6 | Villa María del Triunfo | Lima | Lima | 398,433 |
| 7 | Villa El Salvador | Lima | Lima | 393,254 |
| 8 | San Juan de Miraflores | Lima | Lima | 355,219 |
| 9 | Puente Piedra | Lima | Lima | 329,675 |
| 10 | Santiago de Surco | Lima | Lima | 329,152 |
| 11 | Los Olivos | Lima | Lima | 325,884 |
| 12 | Ventanilla | Callao | Callao | 315,600 |
| 13 | Trujillo | Trujillo | La Libertad | 314,939 |
| 14 | Chorrillos | Lima | Lima | 314,241 |
| 15 | Chiclayo | Chiclayo | Lambayeque | 270,496 |
| 16 | Lima | Lima | Lima | 268,352 |
| 17 | Juliaca | San Román | Puno | 228,726 |
| 18 | Chimbote | Santa | Ancash | 206,213 |
| 19 | Piura | Piura | Piura | 158,495 |
| 20 | Callería | Coronel Portillo | Ucayali | 149,999 |
Source: INEI [2]
| # | District | Province | Region | Population density (/km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Breña | Lima | Lima | 24,492 |
| 2 | Surquillo | Lima | Lima | 24,336 |
| 3 | La Victoria | Lima | Lima | 21,764 |
| 4 | La Perla | Callao | Callao | 21,674 |
| 5 | Arequipa | Arequipa | Arequipa | 21,431 |
| 6 | Carmen de la Legua Reynoso | Callao | Callao | 19,075 |
| 7 | Florencia de Mora | Trujillo | La Libertad | 18,803 |
| 8 | Lince | Lima | Lima | 17,202 |
| 9 | Pueblo Libre | Lima | Lima | 16,414 |
| 10 | Bellavista | Callao | Callao | 15,956 |
| 11 | Los Olivos | Lima | Lima | 15,701 |
| 12 | Santa Anita | Lima | Lima | 15,040 |
| 13 | Rímac | Lima | Lima | 14,810 |
| 14 | San Martín de Porres | Lima | Lima | 14,228 |
| 15 | San Juan de Miraflores | Lima | Lima | 13,980 |
| 16 | Independencia | Lima | Lima | 13,551 |
| 17 | Magdalena del Mar | Lima | Lima | 13,420 |
| 18 | San Luis | Lima | Lima | 13,254 |
| 19 | El Agustino | Lima | Lima | 13,192 |
| 20 | Lima | Lima | Lima | 13,187 |
Source: INEI [2]
| # | District | Province | Region | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Putumayo | Maynas | Loreto | 34,942.9 |
| 2 | Napo | Maynas | Loreto | 24,298.1 |
| 3 | Tambopata | Tambopata | Madre de Dios | 22,218.6 |
| 4 | Tigre | Loreto | Loreto | 19,785.7 |
| 5 | Echarate | La Convención | Cusco | 19,135.5 |
| 6 | Purús | Purús | Ucayali | 17,847.8 |
| 7 | Urarinas | Loreto | Loreto | 15,778.4 |
| 8 | Iñapari | Tahuamanu | Madre de Dios | 14,853.7 |
| 9 | Raimondi | Atalaya | Ucayali | 14,508.5 |
| 10 | Alto Nanay | Maynas | Loreto | 14,290.8 |
| 11 | Masisea | Coronel Portillo | Ucayali | 14,102.2 |
| 12 | Yavarí | Mariscal Ramón Castilla | Loreto | 13,807.5 |
| 13 | Parinari | Loreto | Loreto | 12,951.7 |
| 14 | Trompeteros | Loreto | Loreto | 12,246.0 |
| 15 | Andoas | Datem del Marañón | Loreto | 11,549.8 |
| 16 | Pebas | Mariscal Ramón Castilla | Loreto | 11,437.0 |
| 17 | Puerto Bermúdez | Oxapampa | Pasco | 10,988.1 |
| 18 | Fitzcarrald | Manú | Madre de Dios | 10,955.3 |
| 19 | Yaquerana | Requena | Loreto | 10,947.2 |
| 20 | Morona | Datem del Marañón | Loreto | 10,777.0 |
Source: INEI [2]
| # | District | Province | Region | Elevation (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suykutambo | Espinar | Cusco | 4801 |
| 2 | Condoroma | Espinar | Cusco | 4737 |
| 3 | San Antonio | Puno | Puno | 4700 |
| 4 | Ananea | San Antonio de Putina | Puno | 4660 |
| 5 | Morococha | Yauli | Junín | 4550 |
| 6 | San Antonio de Chuca | Caylloma | Arequipa | 4525 |
| 7 | Santa Ana | Castrovirreyna | Huancavelica | 4473 |
| 8 | Marcapomacocha | Yauli | Junín | 4415 |
| 9 | Capazo | El Collao | Puno | 4400 |
| 10 | Paratia | Lampa | Puno | 4390 |
| 11 | Cojata | Huancané | Puno | 4355 |
| 12 | Yanacancha | Pasco | Pasco | 4350 |
| 13 | Chaupimarca | Pasco | Pasco | 4338 |
| 14 | Macusani | Carabaya | Puno | 4315 |
| 15 | Huayllay | Pasco | Pasco | 4310 |
| 16 | Caylloma | Caylloma | Arequipa | 4310 |
| 17 | Vilavila | Lampa | Puno | 4300 |
| 18 | Tanta | Yauyos | Lima | 4278 |
| 19 | Tinyahuarco | Pasco | Pasco | 4275 |
| 20 | Suitucancha | Yauli | Junín | 4255 |
Source: INEI [2]
| District | Province | Region | Capital | UBIGEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This is a demography of the population of Peru including population density, ethnicity, education level, the health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a megadiverse country, with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west, to the peaks of the Andes mountains extending from the north to the southeast of the country, to the tropical Amazon basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon River. Peru has a population of over 32 million, and its capital and largest city is Lima. At 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi), Peru is the 19th largest country in the world, and the third largest in South America.
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.
Pucallpa is a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. It is the capital of the Ucayali region, the Coronel Portillo Province and the Calleria District. This city is categorized as the only metropolis in Ucayali, being the largest populated center of the region. According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática, it is the tenth most populated city in Peru and second largest in the Peruvian Amazon after Iquitos. In 2013 it housed a population of 211,611 inhabitants.
The Lima Metropolitan Area is an area formed by the conurbation of the Peruvian provinces of Lima and Callao. It is the largest of the metropolitan areas of Peru, the seventh largest in the Americas, the fourth largest in Latin America, and among the thirty largest in the world. The conurbation process started to be evident in the 1980s.
Huancayo is the capital of the Junín Region and Huancayo Province, in the central highlands of Peru, in the Mantaro Valley and is crossed by the Shullcas, Chilca and Mantaro rivers. It was founded as a reduction by the name Santísima Trinidad de Huancayo on 1 June 1572, by Don Jerónimo de Silva, a Spanish conquistador. It is the fifth largest city in Peru, with a population of 500,000 and is among the highest cities in Peru, with an altitude of 3,256 meters above sea level. It is considered the economic and social center of central Peru
The 2005 Peru Census was a detailed enumeration of the Peruvian population. It was conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática from July 18 through August 20, 2005. Its full name in Spanish is X Censo de Población y V de Vivienda. The previous census performed in Peru was the 1993 Census. The following census was the 2007 Census.
Peru has many languages in use, with its official languages being Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. Spanish has been in the country since it began being taught in the time of José Pardo instead of the country's Native languages, especially the languages in the Andes. In the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that in this multilingual country, about 50 very different and popular languages are spoken: which reduces to 44 languages if dialects are considered variants of the same language. The majority of these languages are Indigenous, but the most common language is Spanish, the main language that about 94.4% of the population speaks. Spanish is followed by the country's Indigenous languages, especially all types of Quechua and Aymara (1.7%), who also have co-official status according to Article 48 of the Constitution of Peru, as well as the languages of the Amazon and the Peruvian Sign Language. In urban areas of the country, especially the coastal region, most people are monolingual and only speak Spanish, while in many rural areas of the country, especially in the Amazon, multilingual populations are prevalent.
Yurimaguas is a port town in the Loreto Region of the northeastern Peruvian Amazon. Historically associated with the Mainas missions, the culturally diverse town is affectionately known as the "Pearl of the Huallaga". Yurimaguas is located at the confluence of the majestic Huallaga and Paranapura Rivers in the steamy rainforests of northeastern Peru. It is the capital of both Alto Amazonas Province and Yurimaguas District, and had a population estimated at 62,903 inhabitants (2017).
Peruvians are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 million in the 1520s to around 600,000 in 1620 mainly because of infectious diseases carried by the Spanish. Spaniards and Africans arrived in large numbers in 1532 under colonial rule, mixing widely with each other and with Native Peruvians. During the Republic, there has been a gradual immigration of European people. Chinese and Japanese arrived in large numbers at the end of the 19th century.
According to the Organic Law of Regional Governments, the regions are, with the departments, the first-level administrative subdivisions of Peru. Since its 1821 independence, Peru had been divided into departments but faced the problem of increasing centralization of political and economic power in its capital, Lima.
Ubigeo is the coding system for geographical locations in Peru used by the National Statistics and Computing Institute to code the first-level administrative subdivision: regions, the second-level administrative subdivision: provinces and the third-level administrative subdivision: districts. There are 1874 different ubigeos in Peru.
The 2007 Peru Census was a detailed enumeration of the Peruvian population. It was conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática on Sunday, October 21, 2007. Its full name in Spanish is XI Censo de Población y VI de Vivienda. The previous census performed in Peru was the 2005 Census, the following census was the 2017 Peru Census.
The Urcos District is one of the twelve districts in the Quispicanchi Province in Peru. Created on January 2, 1857, its capital is the town of Urcos. Urcos is southeast of the former Inca capital, Cusco, in the southern Andes, and it is at an altitude of 3,180 meters (10,430 ft).
Sara Sara District is one of ten districts of the province Paucar del Sara Sara in Peru.
Santa Cruz District is one of five districts of the province Palpa in Peru. A large Pre-Comlumbian archaeological site called the Lost City of Huayuri is located in the district.
Mancos District is one of eight districts of the Yungay Province in Ancash Region, Peru. Mancos is called ``El corazón del Callejón de Huaylas´´ for being located in the centre of Callejón de Huaylas.
The 2017 Peru Census was a detailed enumeration and twelfth national population census of Peru. It was conducted by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática on Sunday, October 22, 2017. Its full name in Spanish is XII Censo de Población, VII de Vivienda y III de Comunidades Indígenas. The previous census performed in Peru was the 2007 Census.
Poverty in Peru has rapidly declined since the start of the 21st century, as a result of prosperity from the international market, tourism, low inflation, greater economic opportunities, and neoliberal economic policy, at one of the fastest rates in South America. Poverty decreased from 58.7% in 2004 to 20.5% in 2018, or from 14.9 million people in poverty to fewer than 6.8 million people in 2018, with millions of Peruvians rising out of poverty according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI). In 2019 the poverty rate decreased with another 1,7%.