South America: Plan your Journey

Peru

The Republic of Peru, (Spanish: Republica del Peru), or Peru, is a country in western South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Peru is rich in cultural anthropology, and is well-known as the cradle of the Inca empire. more...

National name: Republica del Peru
Full country name: Peru
Area: 496,223 sq mi (1,285,220 sq km)
Population: 27,925,628 (growth rate: 1.4%); birth rate: 20.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 31.9/1000; life expectancy: 69.5; density per sq mi: 56
Capital City: Lima
Language: Spanish, Quechua (both official); Aymara; many minor Amazonian languages
Government: Constitutional republic
President Alejandro Toledo (2001)
Prime Minister: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2005)
Religion: Roman Catholic 90%
Monetary unit: Nuevo sol (1991)
Ethnicity/race: Amerindian 45%, mestizo 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

History of Peru

Peru was home to various Pre-Inca cultures and later, to the Inca Empire. Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian coast in 1532, and by the end of the 1530s Peru became a Viceroyalty and a major source of gold and silver for the Spanish Empire. Peru declared its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821 thanks to an alliance between the Argentine army of Jose de San Martin, and the Neogranadine Army of Simon Bolivar. more...

Overview of Peru's Economy

Literacy rate: 91% (2003 est.)
DP/PPP (2004 est.): $155.3 billion
Per capita: $5,600
Real growth rate: 4.5%
Inflation: 3.8%
Unemployment: 9.6% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment.
Arable land: 3%
Agriculture: coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish
Labor force: 11 million; agriculture 9%, industry 18%, services 73% (2001)
Industries: mining and refining of minerals and metals, petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas, fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing, steel, metal fabrication
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
Exports: $12.3 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee.
Imports: 9.6 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper.
Major trading partners: U.S., UK, China, Switzerland, Chile, Spain, Brazil, Colombia (2003).

Also Read: A Brief insight in The Economy of Peru | Demographics of Peru | Activities of Peru | Subdivisions of Peru | Tourist Attractions of Peru

Political System of Peru

- Politics in Peru

Climate, Vegetation and Faunau

- Climate: Varies according to area. On the coast winter lasts from June to September. more...
- Food and Drink
: The hot and spicy nature of Peruvian food, created by aji and ajo (hot pepper and garlic), has become celebrated at home and abroad. more...
- Nightlife: There are many good bars, pubs, discos and casinos in the major towns and tourist resorts. more...
- Language: Buildings in San Isidro, Lima's largest financial district Peru has two official languages - Spanish...more

Facts for Travellers

Visa:United States entry requirements are the same in all states, with most foreign travelers requiring a visa. The US State Department issues all US visas. more...
Time Zone:
GMT - 5
Electricity: 20 volts AC, 60Hz. (110 volts AC is available in most 4- and 5-star hotels).
Location: Western South America
Country dialing code: 51
Highest Point: Huascaran (6,768 m) (22,205 ft)
Official Currency: New Sol
Latitude/Longitude: 10º S, 76º W

Geography of Peru

Peru is located in Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador. It also shares borders with Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. The western coastal plains (costa) are separated from the eastern lowland jungle of the Amazon Basin (selva) by the high and rugged Andes in the center (sierra). On the border with Bolivia lies Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake at 3821 m. more...

Shopping in Peru

There are many attractive Peruvian handicrafts such as alpaca wool sweaters, alpaca and llama rugs, Indian masks, weaving, jewelry and much more. Galleries and handicraft shops abound in the Miraflores, Pueblo Libre and downtown districts of Lima. Handicrafts markets are located in Miraflores (Petit Thouars Ave, blocks 52 to 53) and Pueblo Libre (La Marina Ave, blocks 8 to 10). Bargaining is an expected practice with beach vendors and at markets and known as 'regateo'. more...

Also Read: Sports of Peru | Foreign relations of Peru | Music of Peru | Painting and Sculpture of Peru | Getting in Peru | Get around in Peru

Climate of Venezuela Weather The climate varies according to altitude. Lowland areas have a tropical climate. The dry season is from December to April and the rainy season from May to December. During the rainy season, there is the possibility of flooding in certain low-lying areas, such as the Llanos and in some valley of the [...]
Activities in Venezuela Hiking and trekking Venezuela has 42 national parks and around 20 nature reserves (monumentos naturales) which, together, cover some 15 per cent of the total land mass. All types of walks, ranging from signposted trails to mountain climbing and jungle paths, are possible. Visitors should note that a permit, issued by central [...]
Tourist Attractions in Venezuela Venezuela offers a great variety of landscapes - tropical beaches, immense plains, enormous rivers, forests, jungle, waterfalls and great mountains. Unfortunately, the flash floods and mudslides which hit Venezuela in 1999 severely damaged the country’s infrastructure; some of which may still not have been fully restored. Travelers should check prior to [...]
Nightlife in Venezuela There are many nightclubs and discos in the major cities of Venezuela. The National and Municipal Theaters offer a variety of concerts, ballet, plays, operas and operettas. There are other theaters - some of which are open-air - in Caracas, as well as several cinemas.
Food and Dining in Venezuela Cumin and saffron are used in many dishes but the distinctive and delicate flavor of most of the popular dishes comes from the use of local roots and vegetables. Some local specialties are tequenos, a popular hors d’oeuvres (thin dough wrapped around a finger of local white cheese and fried crisp); [...]
Shopping in Venezuela There are many handicrafts unique to Venezuela that are made by local Indian tribes. Good purchases are gems and jewelry, cacique coins, gold, pearls, pompom slippers, seed necklaces, shoes and handbags, Indian bows, arrows, mats, pipes and baskets, alpargatas (traditional local footwear of the Campesinos), chinchorros (local hammocks) and many other [...]
Caracas: Venezuela Caracas is the capital of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of a narrow mountain valley. The valley’s temperatures are springlike, and the urbanizable terrain of the Caracas Valley lies between 2,500 and 3,000 ft (760 and 910 m) above sea level. The Valley is close to [...]
Military of Venezuela As of 2000, the national armed forces of Venezuela (FAN Fuerza Armada Nacional) enlisted 87,500 individuals in four service branches–the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, and the Armed Forces of Cooperation (FAC), commonly known as the National Guard. As of 2005, about 100,000 soldiers were integrated in the military through [...]
Foreign relations of Venezuela Venezuela’s priorities in the international arena are: Respect for human rights; The right of all people to self-determination; Nonintervention in the internal affairs of other nations; Peaceful settlement of disputes between nations, including border disputes; The right of all people to peace and security; and Support for democracy. Hemispheric cooperation and integration are two pillars of president Hugo Chavez’s [...]
Music of Venezuela Venezuelan pop music has been largely overshadowed on the international scene by its neighbors, especially Brazil, Trinidad and Colombia. It is known for its own salsa, merengue and other imported styles, as well as the distinct llanera music. Originally a rural form of the llanos, or plains, llanera spread to musically creative artists like [...]

Travel Mantra: South America Destination Guide

History of Guyana
History of Guyana At the time the first Europeans arrived in the area around 1500, Guyana was inhabited by Arawak and...

Food and Dining in Peru
Food and Dining in Peru The hot and spicy nature of Peruvian food, created by aji and ajo (hot pepper and...

Activities of Guyana
Activities of Guyana Fishing The rivers and the interior abound in game fish, the best known of which is the man-eating...

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