Facts about Peru

Flag of Peru

Flag of the Incas

Map of Peru

Facts & statistics

Official name: Republic of Peru (República del Perú - Spanish, Piruw - Quechua)

Population: 27.925.600

Population density: 21,7 persons/km² (56,2 persons/km²)  

Capital City: Lima (pop. 6,9 mill)

GDP: 169,5 billion USD (2005 estimate)

GDP/head: 6.100 USD (2005 estimate)

Currency: Nuevo Sol (PEN), 1 Nuevo Sol = 1 Céntimo

Currency exchange rate: 3,08 PEN/1 USD (August 2006)

International automobile symbol: PE

Official language: Spanish, Quechua

Languages used: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, etc.

Nationalities, ethnicities, races: 50 % Amerindian (mostly Quechua, Aymara), Mestizo, white & Creole (out of which 88 % white, 12 % Creole) and other.

Literacy rate: 90,9 %

Religions: 81 % Roman Catholic and others (out of which 7 % Protestant, 3 % ancient religions)

Land divisions: 25 regions and 1 province. Regions include: Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes and Ucayali; the Province is Lima.

Coastline: 2.414 km

Surface: 1.285.220 km² (496.226 sq miles), out of which Land: 1.280.000 km² (494.211 sq miles) and Water: 5.220 km² (2.015 sq miles)

Highest point: 6.768 m Nevado Huascaran (22,205 ft)

Lowest point: 0 m (0 ft) Pacific Ocean

Neighbours: Ecuador (north), Colombia (north), Brazil (east), Bolivia (southeast), Chile (south)  

National Day: July 28th

Independence: July 28th, 1821

Time zone: UTC -5

Description of Peru:

Peru is located on the northwestern part of South America, positioned both in the western and eastern hemispheres. It is bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and it has a coastline of 2.414 km with the Pacific Ocean.

Peru's surface is mostly dominated by mountains, but it also has flat grasslands, arid deserts. More than 40 % of the country is covered by high mountains of the Andes. There are more than 20 peaks above 6.000 m (about 20.000 ft).

Most of Peru is covered by forests, mostly jungle, deep rainforests. The river Amazon starts flowing from Peru, then crosses the border into Brazil.

Peru is rich in fauna, flora and also in tourist attractions. Large numbers of foreign tourists visit the exotic country to see the old monuments, cities, ruins scattered across the territory. The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, the city of Cuzco (Cusco) and a large number of villages, towns are among the primary destinations.