Administrative divisions: | 24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional): Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, and Ucayali. The 1979 constitution mandated the creation of regions (regiones, singular - region) to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities, so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 of the 24 departments - Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali), formation of another region has been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to merge with the department of Lima, because of inadequate funding from the central government and organizational and political difficulties, the regions have yet to assume major responsibilities, the 1993 constitution retains the regions but limits their authority, the 1993 constitution also reaffirms the roles of departmental and municipal governments. |