Location and Geography Peru is located in the western central coast of South America. It shares borders with Ecuador (N), Colombia (NE), Brazil (E), Bolivia (SE) and Chile (S). The West side, shared with the Pacific Ocean, is the main border that has a length of 3,079.5 km. There are four major natural regions: the 200 miles of Peruvian Sea, a narrow coastal strip, the high Andes mountains and the vast and plain Amazon jungle.

The Peruvian Sea area is called to that 200 miles (370km) of territorial sea that runs parallel to the coast. Here, the Pacific Ocean spreads a wealth of marine life, produced specially by the effect of the Humboldt Current cold water that encounters with the warm water of the El Niño Current. This phenomenon allows the presence of plancton, a microorganism (food for fishes) that has made this sea the richest of the world.

In the Coast, la Costa , is settled the biggest part of the population and the major cities. It is mainly a desert area that is crossed by beatifull and uncrowded white sand beaches and valleys of more than 40 rivers that run down from the western Andes. This makes the coast an important region for agriculture,fishing and surfing. With the years it became the commercial centre of the country and an important input place for inland areas. The main products are Fishing,cotton, rice, sugar cane, fruits and minerals,such as gold,silver,copper and zinc.

The Andes or Sierra is the high region that goes from 2,000 metres to 6,768 metres above sea level (Huascarán mountain). It is divided in two main ranges: the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Oriental. The Andean area has an average altitude of 3,000 metres and is full of plateaus, mountains, glaciers, valleys, canyons and rivers.The mountains give shape to an incredibly rugged surface.A perfect scenario for Extreme Sports.The Andes is a hard place, but offers one of the best sceneries in the world. The main products are potatoes,yucca,olluco, cereals and vegetables, and activities like cattle-raising,gold washing mining and weaving.

The Amazon Jungle or Selva comes down from the eastern slopes of the Andes (2,000 to 84 metres) and covers more than 60% of the country´s area with rainforest. It is a tropical and almost uninhabited zone (no more than 5% of pop.) with the most biodiverse jungle and full-flowing rivers in the world. In the dense forest there is an explosion of life conformed by thousands of species of flora and fauna, most of them, unknown until today. The Amazonía is drained by the three biggest rivers: Marañon, Huallaga and Ucayali that together give birth to the Amazonas river, some kilometres before Iquitos city. Wood is the principal product, as well as rubber, rice, fruits, coffee, tea, petroleum and natural gas.

Population and People With a population of nearly 25 million, Peru has a wide ethnic mixture composed mainly by a 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo, 12% White and Spanish descent, 2% Black and Asian minority. The minorities, who live basically in the city of Lima and the coast, are immigrants who came from Asia ( China , Japan ), Africa (western coast), Europe ( Spain , Italy , England , Germany , France , Switzerland , Israel , Belgium, Yugoslavia )and North America ( United States and Canada).

Languages Spanish and Quechua (Inka´s language) are the two official languages in Peru . Although Spanish is the main one, Quechua is widely spoken in the Andes as well as Aymara in the southern Andes in the area of Lake Titicaca . In the Amazon there are more than 70 natives languages, belonging each one to a ethnic group. Some of the Andean people are bilingual (Quechua or Aymara and Spanish). English is spoken in the main touristic destinations and places.

Area Peru is the third largest country in South America with an area of 1'285,216 km2.

Capital City Lima , located in the central coast of Peru . Has a population of over 9 million inhabitants.

Government Peru is ruled by democracy. A constitutional President is elected every five years and can be re-elected one term more. The Legislative Power is based on a Congress of 120 members. The Judicial Power is composed by two Courts. Voting is mandatory for every citizen between 18 and 60 years old (militaries and police not allowed). The country is divided in 24 departments and a Constitutional Province, Callao.

Time Same as USA East coast.

Electricity 220 volts AC, 60 Hz.