About Perú
Peru is located on the central and occidental part of South America, and it has
been the center of different cultures. It limits with the Pacific Ocean at the
west, Chile to the south, Bolivia and Brazil to the East, and Colombia and Ecuador
to the north. It has an area of 498,222 square miles (1,285.215 km2), it is the
third country of larger extension in the continent. It has a population
of 25,662.000 inhabitants, which is conformed by a race variety and cultures.
Among the main races, Spanish is ; the one of major influence.The native race,
mixed with the Spanish, black, Asian and European (migrated to it) are the races
where the Peruvian man proceeds.
Most of the population that originally lived of the hills regions, immigrated since 70'
to the cities on the coast. The official language in Peru is Spanish, whenever in 1975
Quechua was declared as the second official language, which is the inheritance of our
ancestors, Incas. Approximately 95% of the population is Catholic but the influences
of other religions and ancestral ceremonies are still present up to now on ceremonies,
especially in those ceremonies of the Quechua population.
Peru is a country with three regions: tropical coast, sierra and Amazonian
jungle each one totally different from the others not only for the weather but
also for its habits, that, join together with the mixture of races and cultures
on it made the Peruvian country one of the richest referred to geographical
diversity, it has a desert zone on the coast, even though it is on the tropic.
The coast has the 48% of the inhabitants and it is the region where the biggest
city which is also the capital of the country is located.
Lima, with a population of 8 millions of inhabitants. During most part of the year,
sky is covered with clouds that only discharge its humidity like drizzle or dew. It
is also on this region that six cities of the six most populated of Peru are: Lima,
Trujillo (600,000), Chiclayo (520,000) and Piura (325,000). The coast has
archeological ruins of ancient times and of great importance. With the discovery of
the Tomb of "El Señor de Sipán", that past stands out even more the richest of its
ancestors. Besides, these archeological places, the COAST offers miles of beaches
ideal for swimming or made aquatic sports. The 43% of the population live in the
mountains and the bigger cities are Cuzco, Puno, Arequipa and Ayacucho. In some
places of this region the altitude exceeds the 4,800 meters, with astonishing picks,
glaciers and lagoons. In the Jungle there are wonderful tropical woods, and there
is also the Cordillera de los Andes. Peru is a country with privileges which has
a rich past and vibrant present. The ruins of great civilizations that are here
make it become a fascinating country full of wonderful and diverse landscapes.
All over the country there are miles of archeological zones that are simples
through the years of the ancestral and cultural history of our country.
The official currency is Nuevo Sol (S/.) divided in 100 cents.
It circulates in coins of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200.
The exchange type referred to US dollar is often the same and for 2007 it is
approximately S/.2.96 nuevos soles per 1 US dollar.
