World Map › South America › Peru
Country
Map of Peru
South America · Lima
Peru spans the South American and Altiplano plates. It has 13 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 3 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 127 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 70,359 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 6.4 out of 10 (INFORM index), a high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 4.9 out of 10.
- Capital
- Lima
- Population
- 34,157,732
- Area
- 1,285,216 km²
- Continent
- South America
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (5.2 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (3.7 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 71,599to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 62,570to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
- 1,508to tsunamis
- 155,080to river floods
- 2,051to coastal floods
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- River FloodHigh
- Urban FloodHigh
- Coastal FloodHigh
- EarthquakeHigh
- LandslideHigh
- TsunamiHigh
- VolcanoHigh
- Water ScarcityHigh
- WildfireHigh
- Extreme HeatMedium
- CycloneVery Low
Volcanoes (13)
Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.
- Sabancaya 2026
- Ubinas 2024
- El Misti 1985
- Tutupaca 1802
- Ticsani 1800
- Huaynaputina 1600
- Andahua-Orcopampa 1490
- Huambo 700 BCE
- Yucamane 1320 BCE
- Quimsachata-Oroscocha 4450 BCE
- Cerro Auquihuato ?
- Coropuna ?
- Nevados Casiri ?
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 1970Northern, Pisco, Chiclayo · M 7.966,794 deaths
- 1946Jocaibamba, Cerro Angaschaj, Cerro Sillapata · M 7.3800 deaths
- 2007Ica, Pisco, Lima · M 8.0596 deaths
- 1947Satipo, Andamarca, Acobamba · M 7.6233 deaths
- 1990Moyabamba-Riojo · M 6.5200 deaths
- 1940Peru · M 8.2179 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
38 major tsunamis have reached Peru since 1900, killing 134 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 1960Tsunami (Peru) · 9.0 m79 deaths
- 2001Tsunami (Peru) · 8.8 m24 deaths
- 1996Tsunami (Peru) · 5.0 m24 deaths
- 2007Tsunami (Peru) · 10.1 m3 deaths
- 2022Tsunami (Tonga) · 2.0 m2 deaths
- 2010Tsunami (Peru) · 23.0 m1 deaths
- 1946Tsunami (United States of America) · 0.8 m1 deaths
- 1971Tsunami (Peru) · 30.0 m
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution