Conventional Long Form Name of country: Republic of Peru Capital City: Lima Type of Government: constitutional republic Date of Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain) National Holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821) Chief of State: President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011) Head of Government: President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011) Description of Executive Branch: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive reelection); presidential and congressional elections last held on 10 April 2011 with runoff election held on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016) Description of Legislative Branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (130 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) Description of Judicial Branch:Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70 Name of Ambassador to U.S.: Ambassador Harold Winston FORSYTH Mejia Location of U.S. Embassy: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 Location of their consulate in U.S.: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco Name to U.S. ambassador to them: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS Location of U.S. embassy in Peru: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33 Location of U.S. consulate there: N/A Peru Representative to UN: Enrique Armando Roman-Moray National Symbols: vicuna (a camelid related to the llama)
Chief of State/ Head of Government
President Ollanta Humala Tasso
National Flag
Symbolism: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace