Exploring Peru, Argentina, and Brazil

Peru Peru, Argentina, and Brazil: Facts PERU Background/Brief History: Ancient Peru consisted of several Andean civilizations. The most familiar civilization to the world is the Incan Empire. The Incan empire was invaded, captured and colonized by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was finally declared in 1821, and the remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980. Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) Natural Resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas Languages: Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other 0.2% (2007 Census) ©2012, TESCCC

Peru • Religions: Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified or none 2.9% (2007 Census) • Ethnicity: Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) • 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% • Government: constitutional republic • Capital: name: Lima • Economy: Important mineral resources are found in the mountainous and coastal areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. Peruvian economy has been growing in most recent years. Since 2006, Peru has signed trade deals with the U.S., Canada, Singapore, China, Korea, Mexico, and Japan. ©2012, TESCCC

Argentina • Background/Brief History: In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. • Climate: mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest • Terrain: rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border • Natural Resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium • Languages: Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua) • Religions: Roman Catholic 92% , Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other • 4% ©2012, TESCCC

Argentina Ethnicity: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3% Government: republic Capital: Buenos Aires Economy: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises. Today, they have a growing and fairly strong economy. ©2012, TESCCC

Brazil • Background/Brief History: Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio Vargas rose to power in • 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than a half century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. • Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south • Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt • Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber • Languages: Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language) note: less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages ©2012, TESCCC

Brazil • Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist • 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none • 7.4% (2000 census) • Ethnicity: white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census) • Government: federal republic • Capital: Brasilia • Economy: Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries, and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. ©2012, TESCCC

Peru- Economics • Economic Overview: Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Important mineral resources are found in the mountainous and coastal areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. The Peruvian economy has been growing by an average of • 6.4% per year since 2002. • GDP: Defined (The measure of a country’s economy; the total value of goods and services produced by workers and capital within the country’s borders during a given period) GDP= Gross Domestic Product. • • GDP for Peru: $305.8 billion (2011 est.); Growth Rate: 6.9% (2011 est.) • • Labor Force: 15.9 million • • Labor Force by Occupation: agriculture: 0.7%, industry: 23.8%, services: • 75.5% • Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (2011 est.) • Population Below Poverty Level: 31.3% (2010) ©2012, TESCCC

Peru -Economics • Exports: $46.27 billion (2011 est.) • • Exports to: China 18.4%, U.S. 15.3%, Canada 11.5%, Japan 5.6%, Spain 5.4%, Chile 4.8%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany 4.1% (2010 est.) • • Exports what? Copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas; coffee, • asparagus and other vegetables, fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, • fish, chemicals, fabricated metal products and machinery, alloys • Imports: $36.97 billion (2011 est.) • • Imports from: U.S. 24.7%, China 13.8%, Brazil 6.7%, Chile 6%, Ecuador 4.4%, South Korea 4.1% (2010 est.) • • Imports what? Petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, machinery, vehicles, color TV sets, power shovels, front-end • loaders, telephones and telecommunication equipment, iron and steel, wheat, corn, soybean products, paper, cotton, vaccines and medicines • Agriculture: asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans; poultry, beef, pork, dairy products; guinea pigs; fish • Wholesale: Peru is the top silver producer, number three in copper and sixth in gold. • Manufacturing: 22% (manufactured goods are developed based on the agricultural or raw materials of a country) • Service Industry: 53% (examples of service industries include restaurants, tourism, banking, etc.) • Government and the Economy: • Since about 1990, the Peruvian government lessened regulation. Examples include: lower tariffs, less or no price controls, allows for foreign investment (China is making great strides in investments in Peru) ©2012, TESCCC

Argentina -Economics • Economic Overview: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. • GDP: • • GDP for Argentina: $725.6 billion (2011 est.) • • Growth Rate: 8.9% (2011 est.) • • Labor Force: 16.76 million • • Labor Force by Occupation: agriculture: 10% , industry: 30.7%, services: • 59.2% • Unemployment Rate: 7.2% • Population Below Poverty Level: 30% • Exports: $83.71 billion (2011 est.) • • Exports to: Brazil 21.8%, China 7.4%, Chile 5.6%, U.S. 5.5% • • Exports what? Soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat ©2012, TESCCC

Argentina- Economy • Imports: $71.73 billion (2011 est.) • • Imports from: Brazil 33.2%, U.S. 14.4%, China 12.4%, Germany • 4.7% (2011) • • Imports what? Machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics • Agriculture: sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock • Manufacturing: 19% of GDP (manufactured goods are developed based on the agricultural or raw materials of a country. Autos, auto parts, farm machinery, pharmaceuticals, etc.) • Service Industry: 60% of GDP (examples of service industries include restaurants, tourism, banking, etc.) • Government and the Economy: • Since 2003, the economic trend has made huge strides and has improved through some government deregulation, lower tariffs, and foreign investors. ©2012, TESCCC

Brazil -Economics • Economic Overview: Despite slower growth in 2011, Brazil overtook the United Kingdom as the world's seventh largest economy in terms of GDP. Urban unemployment is at the historic low of 4.7% (December 2011), and Brazil's traditionally high level of income equality has declined for each of the last 12 years. Brazil's high interest rates make it an attractive destination for foreign investors. • GDP: • • GDP for Brazil: $2.324 trillion (2011 est.) • • Growth Rate: 2.7% (2011 est.) • • Labor Force: 104.7 million (2011 est.) • • Labor Force by Occupation: agriculture: 20%; industry: 14%; services: • 66% (2003 est.) • Unemployment Rate: 6% (2011 est.) • Population Below Poverty Level: 26% (2008) • Exports: $250.8 billion (2011 est.) • • Exports to: China 17.3%, US 10.1%, Argentina 8.9%, Netherlands • 5.3% (2011) • • Exports what? Transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos ©2012, TESCCC

Brazil- Economy • Imports: $219.6 billion (2011 est.) • • Imports from: U.S. 15.1%, China 14.5%, Argentina 7.5%, Germany • 6.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2011) • • Imports what? Machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics • Agriculture: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; • beef • Manufacturing: 29% of GDP (televisions, telephones, computer chips) • Service Industry: of GDP (examples of service industries include restaurants, tourism, banking, etc.) • Government and the Economy: • Policies (laws have recently been created to encourage exports, industry and trade) ©2012, TESCCC

Peru- Government • • From 1929 to 1979, Peru went back and forth between democratically elected governments and military dictatorships. • • During World War II, Peru sided with the United States against the Axis Powers. • • After the Communist Revolution in Cuba, communist guerillas tried to gain power in Peru. They were defeated by the government in1965. • • In 1980, elections were held. Democracy was returned to Peru. However, a new guerilla group emerged. The “Shining Path” guerillas gained power. This was because the economy began to weaken, making times hard for the people of Peru. • • In 1990, Alberto Fujimori was elected president. Afraid of the Shining Path guerillas, his government fought against them. To fight the guerillas, many civil rights were violated. Some people accepted these violations because they did not like the guerillas. Eventually, the Shining Path was defeated. • • In 2000, Fujimori was forced out of office because of a bribery scandal. ©2012, TESCCC

Argentina- Government • • After World War II, a military general, Juan Peron, became president. His wife, Eva Peron, was very popular. Peron thought it was best for the safety of the country that people not be allowed to disagree with the government. Peron censored newspapers, telling them what they could print. People who disagreed with the government were put in jail. It was said they “disappeared” when they were arrested. • • From 1958 through 1966, anti-Peron feelings took over the country. However, government leaders found it hard to stay in power, and frequently were overthrown by military men. • • From 1966 through 1983 various governments came to power. A lot of economic problems prevented most governments from being successful and most did not last very long. Struggles for power replaced voting for leaders. • • Since 1983 Argentina has enjoyed much more stability. Now the President of Argentina is elected by the people. ©2012, TESCCC

Brazil- Government • • From 1930 through 1964, Brazil’s government was elected democratically. • • In the early 1960s, economic problems made the people of Brazil uncomfortable. The military felt the President of Brazil wasn’t doing his job very well, so they took over the government. This is called a military coup. Coup is a French word meaning to strike or hit something. • • The military ruled the government from 1964 to 1985. They wanted to be a strong government, so they did not let people disagree with them. If people did, the military might have them arrested. Many people of Brazil were forced to leave the country and live somewhere else. • • In 1985 a new leader was elected President of Brazil. Since then, the leader of the country has • always been elected by the people. ©2012, TESCCC

Exploring Peru, Argentina, and Brazil