Capital: Lima
Currency: Nuevo Sol (PEN)
Borders: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km,
Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km
Peru is a country in western South America, bordered by Ecuador and
Colombia to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west (Peru has 2,414
km of coastline), Brazil and Bolivia to the east and Chile to the
South. The total land area is 1,285,220 sq km. This includes 5,220
sq km of water. The terrain is made up of a low-lying coastal plain
to the west, the mountainous terrain of the Andes in the centre and
the Amazon Jungle Basin to the east. In the north of Peru, the
Equator just skims the border of Peru with Ecuador and Colombia
whilst the Napo River enters Peru from Ecuador and flows east into
the Amazon River in Brazil. At the halfway point of its journey
east, the Napo flows south into the Ucayali River. This river runs
over half the length of Peru. Lake Titicaca on the southeastern
border of Bolivia is home to traditional people who make their homes
on reed bed islands. The jungles of Peru are home to an interesting
collection of wildlife.The people of Peru
are a colourful gathering. Traditional clothing includes brightly
and multi-coloured ponchos and shawls. The ancient Incan
civilization had its roots firmly in place in Peru and the ancient
Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in the south of the country are a world
famous wonder. Approximately 8 million people live in the capital
city of Lima and 90% of Peruvians are Roman Catholic. The official
national language is Spanish and the unit of currency is the Nuevo
Sol.
Peru's economy has received much foreign investment in recent years
and looks at last to be stable as it has ever been. The people work
in agriculture, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction,
transport and services. Peru possesses some valuable natural
resources such as silver, gold, copper, petroleum and natural gas.
Fortunately these resources are beginning to be managed
successfully. The agricultural produce includes coffee, cotton,
sugarcane, rice, wheat and potatoes.
There are many regional variations in the climate within Peru
although they can be broken down as follows: The coastal plain
receives a dry, desert like climate. Some areas of the coast have
gone years without rain in the past. The central Andean plateau
experiences cooler weather due to the higher elevation of the land.
The east of Peru is tropical. The highest temperature recorded in
Lima was 34°C. |
