NOTE: Although the subdivision of Peru was officially changed from Departments to Regions 2002 (see, e.g., wikipedia.org), the older subdivision is still completely in use. Thus, in Mindat Peru is subdivided into Departments.
The departments were identical to today's regions, with the exception of two new regions (Callao and Lima). Before the 2002 changeover, the province of Lima (which is basically the city of Lima) was part of the Lima department, and the city of Callao had the special status of Provincia Constitucional (constitutional province). When the regionalization law was passed, the Callao region was created from the former constitutional province, and the province of Lima separated from the rest of the Lima department, which in turn came to form the new Lima Region. A failed attempt to divide the country into twelve autonomous regions was made during the 1980s under the government of Alan García (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_Peru).
Ref.:
- Silber, H.J. (1987): Peru heute. Bericht über die aktuellen Funde in peruanischen Lagerstätten. LAPIS 12 (6), 17-28
