Peru is divided into three regions: the heavily populated coastal plain; the Andes Mountains, where cattle and agriculture predominate; and the humid eastern lowlands, inhabited by isolated Indian tribes.
Three out of four Peruvians live in cities. Nearly half are Indians, and many are mestizo-descended from Spanish and Indian ancestry. Spanish and Quechua are Peru's official languages; Roman Catholicism is its state religion.
When Spaniard Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru in 1532, the Incas ruled a vast empire rich in silver and gold, which soon fell to the conquistadors. Spain ruled the area until 1821, when Peru won its independence. Since then, Peru's government has alternated between military and civilian dictators and reform-minded leaders. During the 1970s and 1980s, the country struggled with inflation, a decline in per capita income, and guerrilla violence. The 1990s have seen a strengthened economy and increased stability, although the government has been criticized for human rights violations.