Demographics of Peru

Peru is one of only three Latin American countries which have their largest population segment consisting of indigenous Amerindians, with around 45% of all Peruvians classified as such. Most are found in the southern Andes, though a large portion are also to be found in the southern and central coast due to the massive internal labor migration from remote Andean regions to coastal cities, especially Lima, during the past four decades. While the Andes are the "heart" of indigenous Peru, the country's Amazonian region represents nearly 60% of Peruvian national territory and harbors a wide variety of indigenous groups that is rivaled only by its biodiversity. These tropical lowlands, however, are sparsely populated.