Peru is the third largest country in South America. Only Brazil and Argentina cover a greater area. Peru is a land of contrasts in landscape and climate. The long, narrow coast consists of a desert drier than the Sahara. Most of Peru’s large cities lie in this region, including Lima, the capital and largest city. The snow capped Andes Mountains rise east of the coast and extend north and south down the entire length of the country. This region is famous for its grass covered plateaus, crystal clear air, and sparkling sunshine. The rain forests and jungles cover most of the hot humid region east of the Andes.

Peru is one of the world’s leading producers of copper, lead, silver and zinc. It also ranks among the world’s leading fishing countries. But most of Peru’s people are poor. Many make a bare living farming. Other Peruvians work for low wages in the cities or are unemployed.

The ancestors of Peru’s Indians include the famous Inca Indians, who built a great empire in Peru from the 1200’s to the 1500’s.  The first white people reached the country in 1520’s led by the Spanish adventurer Francisco Pizarro. They conquered the Inca in the 1530’s and made Peru a Spanish colony. Peru declared its independence from Spain in 1821.

Facts

Full country name: Republic of Peru
Area: 1,285,215 sq km (501,234 sq mi)
Population: 27,012,899 (1.9% growth)
Capital city: Lima (pop 8 million)
People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population
Government: Democracy
President: Alan Garcia

Visas:

Most travelers do not need visas; most nationals are granted a 90-day stay and it can be extended

Health risks:

Altitude sickness, cholera, hepatitis, malaria (in the lowlands), rabies and typhoid. A yellow fever vaccination is essential if you plan to visit the eastern slopes of the Andes or the Amazonian Basin
Time: GMT/UTC minus 5 hours
Electricity: 220V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Events

Many of the main festivals favor the Roman Catholic calendar. These are often celebrated with great pageantry, especially in highland Indian villages, where the Catholic feast day is usually linked with a traditional agricultural festival. Some of the major events include: Carnival (February-March), which is particularly popular in the highlands and features numerous water fights; Inti Raymi (24 June), the greatest of the Inca festivals with spectacular dances and parades; Peru's Independence (28 July); All Souls Day (2 November), celebrated with gifts of food, drink and flowers which are taken to family graves; and Puno Day (5 November), which features flamboyant costumes and street dancing in Puno.

Lima

Lima, The capital of Peru is noisy and very busy, but the people are friendly and hospitable. It has beautiful museums and art galleries. A project is now underway to restore the city's colonial center, so Lima may be a lot lovelier in the near future.

Attractions include the Museo de Arte, which exhibits colonial furniture and pre-Columbian artifacts as well as 400 years of Peruvian art, and the Museo Nacional de Nacion. Churches such as San Francisco (famous for its catacombs) and Santo Domingo (circa 1540) provide a welcome respite from the outside clamor.  There are also plazas, lovely colonial buildings and a zoo.

 The suburb of Barranco has a number of cheap restaurants and live music venues. The suburb of Miraflores has the city's best stores, restaurants and nightspots.

South Coast

The Pan-American Highway hugs the coast and passes through many areas of interest south of Lima, including Pisco, an important fishing port (best known for its white grape brandy), used by travellers as a base to see the wildlife of the nearby Islas Ballestas. Further south is the town of Nazca, known for its colorful and elaborate pottery and the world-famous Nazca Lines - huge geometric designs, mostly of animals and birds - which are thought to have been built between 900 BC and 600 AD.

Arequipa & Lake Titicaca

Spectacular mountains surround Arequipa, including the volcano El Misti. A feature of the city is its many beautiful buildings made of a light-colored volcanic rock. Santa Catalina, perhaps the most fascinating colonial religious building in the country, was, until recently, home to almost 450 nuns. Many of the city's beautiful colonial houses, are now used as art galleries or museums. Accommodation and food is cheap and often provided in lovely locations. The Colca Canyon, arguably the world's deepest canyon, is a popular excursion from Arequipa.

Lake Titicaca, at 3820m (12,530ft), is the highest navigable lake in the world. At over 170km (105mi) long, it is also the largest lake in South America. Its altitude means the air is unusually clear and the azure waters particularly striking. Boat trips can be made from Puno, the major port on the lake. The area is also known for its folk dances and huge herds of alpacas and llamas.

Cusco

The archaeological capital of the Americas and the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent. Its legacy as the hub of the Inca empire is readily apparent: Most of the city streets are lined with Inca-built stonewalls and crowded with Quecha-speaking descendants of the Incas. The city has magnificent colonial art such as the cathedral (begun in 1559) and La Merced Church. There is also the Coricancha ruins, east of the city center, which were formerly covered with gold (the stonework is all that remains) and the Museo de Arqueológia, the interior of which is filled with metal and gold work, jewelery, pottery, textiles and mummies. Four other ruins - Sacsayhuamán, Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambo Machay - are nearby.

West of Cusco is Machu Picchu, the best-known and most spectacular site on the continent. This 'Lost City of the Incas' still retains an air of grandeur and mystery and is a 'must see' for any visitor to Peru.