Peru

Abstract

The Republic of Peru, formerly the most important of the Spanish Viceroyalties in South America, issued its declaration of independence July 28, 1821; but it was not till after a war, protracted till 1824, that the country gained its actual freedom from Spanish rule. The Republic is politically divided into departments, and the departments into provinces. The present Constitution, proclaimed October 16, 1856, was revised November 25, 1860. It is modelled on that of the United States, the legislative power being vested in a Senate and a House of Representatives, the former composed of deputies of the provinces, in the proportion of one for every 30,000 inhabitants or fraction exceeding 15,000, and the latter of representatives nominated by the electoral colleges of the provinces of each department, at the rate of two when the department has two provinces, and one more for every other two provinces. The parochial electoral colleges choose deputies to the provincial colleges, who in turn send representatives to Congress, and elect the municipal councils as well.