Internal Migration in Peru
Geography
Peru is a country of extreme geographical contrasts. To the west, the barren desert of the Costa, one of the world's driest climates, a stony barren desert. Running down the length of the country, the peaks of the Andes range mark the sierra region, with the mildest conditions on the antiplano to the South. Finally, to the west, the selva, covering 60% of the country. Part of the Amazon basin, it experiences rainfall of around 90 inches per year.
So why is it that the dry barren costa contains the greatest number of people? The initial reasons were historical.
History
Peru was initially colonized by the Incas, who ran a mountain-based civilisation with its capital in Cuzco, in the sierra. The costa and selva were very much in the periphery.
In 1532 the Spanish explorer Pizarro reached Peru, and it was not long before the Spaniards' greed for gold caused them to ruthlessly suppress the Incas. The Spaniards did not like the high altitude of the Inca towns so set up a new capital, Lima, on the costa. This shift set the pattern which has continued to this day.
The main demographic movement within Peru is from the Sierra to Lima. There are many push and pull factors which cause this.
Push factors of the Sierra
Government investment in the area is a fraction of that in the cities of Peru. For example, when the area was hit by a severe drought in the 1980s the government refused to help.
Many people live in very poor conditions in the area (e.g. small adobe/mud brick houses), meaning that many people want to move to the cities in hope of better living conditions.
Around three-quarters of the land in the sierra is too high for any kind of productive agricultural use. In many cases the land is so infertile that it is not even suitable to graze sheep on. This results in an overall shortage of food, meaning that many people migrate to better areas of the country in search of adequate food supplies.
Pull factors of Lima and the surrounding area:
Much investment and expansion has taken place in this area within the last 50 years on the irrigated coastal oases north of Lima.
Coastal ports grew as fishing for anchovy became a boom industry in Peru in the 1960s and 1970s. In Chimbote, not only did the fishing industry grow, but the only steel works in Peru were built there resulting in the generation of employment in the area. This was of course a very strong pull factor for the area.
Lima has the best water and electricity supply, as well as 70% of the country's doctors, education lasting twice as long as anywhere else, and easier access to higher education. 70% of the country's manufacturing industry is located in Lima, making employment easier.
The major impact on Lima has been the growth of barriadas or 'shanty towns'. However, the English translation does not do them justice. many barriadas now have sewerage, electricity, schools and health centres. The real poverty in Lima is to be found in inner city 'slums of despair'. Tugurios, dilapidated mansions divided into as many as 50 dwellings are filled by the newest arrivals. Crime here is high, and there is a great sense of distrust and decay.
Economically, the new arrivals do contribute to the so-called 'lower circuit' of the economy, providing personal services and an alternative source for petty goods.
Back in the sierra, an ageing population is left behind, as it is usually the economically active that migrate. This has led to a lack of services in these particular areas, and also a decrease in the overall output of the area, as most people are unable to work on the farms.
Tim Hughes and Matthew Mayer