Alejandro Toledo
President

(pronounced "al-eh-HAHN-droh toh-LAY-doh")

"Destiny has put me on the front line of the battle to recover democracy and freedom."

The Republic of Perú is located on the west coast of the South American continent, bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil and Bolivia, and to the south by Chile. The third largest South American country, Peru's territory of 1.28 million sq km (496,222 sq mi) encompasses three distinct geographical areas: a narrow coastal plain along the country's 2800 km (1400 mi) Pacific Ocean coastline; the high sierra of the Andes; and the interior region of foothills, tropical rainforest and lowlands which includes the headwaters of the Amazon. The coastal area, home to one-third of the population of nearly 27.9 million (2002 estimate), is the industrial and commercial center. Lima, the nation's capital, is located about...