ABOUT PERU

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

Peru is located in the Western part of South America. Its southern latitude sits at 0°, 02´ and 18°, 21´, 03´´ with the Greenwich longitude of 68°, 39´, 27´´ and 81°, 19´ and 45´´.

Peru is the third largest country of South America. It covers an extensive 1´285,220 Km. It borders Ecuador and Columbia on the north, Chile on the South, Brazil and Bolivia to the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

TIME

The time in Peru is the same as the standard time of the East Coast of the United States and 5 hours less according to Greenwich Mean Time.

WEATHER

The seasons in Peru are opposite from those in the United States and Europe, since Peru is located in the Sub-tropical coast of South America. There are 3 main areas of very different weather patterns.

The coastal side of Peru is usually sunny from November to May, during the summer season and the winter season from May to November is cloudy, wet and cold.

In the mountain region or Andes, the weather is cold and dry. There is a great contrast in the change of temperature mainly between the day and the night during the dry season from April to October. Days are very pleasant and temperatures are generally in the 60 to 70 degree range with nights falling into the 30 and 40's. The rainy season is between December and March.

The amazon forest is characterized by its tropical, sunny, wet and rainy weather. The annual precipitations are upwards of 1,000 mm. It is considered one of the rainiest areas in the world.

The amazon forest is characterized in terms of weather because of its tropical, sunny, wet and rainy weather.

GOVERNMENT

Peru is a democratic country. It is led by a Constituational President who represents the Executive Power.

The Constitution Congress represents the Legislative power.

The Judicial Power is dived into the Superior Court of Justice and the Supreme Court of Justice.

The country is divided into 24 Departments or Counties plus one Constitution County, which is Callao.

LANGUAGE

The official language in Peru is Spanish, which is taught from the primary or elementary school. Other languages considered as officials are the Quechua, that is generally spoken in the Andes of Peru and the Aymará in the area of the great highland plateau.

It is very important to mention that more than 70 different dialects are spoken in the Peruvian Amazonia, by different ethnic groups that populate the region.

POPULATION OF PERU

The population of Peru is approximately 26 million inhabitants and is growing at a rate of 2% per year. The most dense area of population is centered within the Lima Department (Capital of Peru), where there are more than 7 million residents. 70% of the population lives within urban areas.

Peru is comprised of a diverse ethnic mixture, with 48% of the people being descendents of the Inkas, 38% are Mestizos (European mix and Andean heritage), 12% of the people are descendents of Europe (Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Swiss, Poland, Israel, etc,) and the final 2% are from the Africa and Asia and most of these people inhabit the costal regions of Peru.

CURRENCY

The monetary unit in Peru is the New Sun or Nuevo Sol (S /.)

US $. 1.00 = S/. 3.48 Nuevos soles approximate

AIRPORT

The most important is JORGE CHAVEZ International Airport, located in the county of Callao, five kilometers from the Callao Port and 10 kilometers from the north of Lima. It has the largest span and air traffic of National and International flights.

REGIONS

HISTORY

REGIONS

THE TERRITORIAL SEA:

The sea runs parallel to the Peruvian coast from north to south in the Pacific Ocean. It constitutes 200 Marine Miles. These waters produce the phenomenon of the marine currents of Humboldt (cold waters) and El Niño (hot waters).

THE COAST:

The Peruvian Coast is made up of a narrow fringe that borders the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by arid deserts (which are some of the driest in the world), contrasted by rich productive valleys where more than 40 rivers coming from the western slopes of Andes Cordillera cross.

THE MOUNTAINS:

The great ridge of mountains, called the Andes, rise to hights between 2,000 and 6,768 meters above sea level. They compromise the domestic central part of Peru and are the highest areas in the country. The Andes cross from North to South through a great part of South America.

THE AMAZON FOREST:

The Amazon begins on the oriental slopes of the Peruvian Andes and extends from 2,000 to 84 meters over sea level.

The Amazon makes up 50% of the Peruvian territory. It is considered the most varied and extensive Reservation of Natural Life on the Planet.

The big rivers of the Marañon, Huallaga and Ucayali form the largest river in the world, the Amazon, with more than a thousand tributaries that flow in a serpentine pattern ending at the Atlantic Ocean.

HISTORY

Peru is a very proud country, which combines its richness of territories. The jungles of the Amazon, the coastal region (desert typically), the high Andes region, and the high plains all comprise the diversity of our country. Many great cultures have thrived in these regions for thousands of years and now Peru is the guardian of some of the most important Pre-Columbian artifacts of South America.

Peru is located in the hub of the Andes Mountains and became a Religious as well as Cultural base of the great Inkan Empire. Thousands of archaeological remains have been found here from the first recorded inhabitants of over 10,000 years ago to the architectural wonders of the Inkas during the 16th century. Many people tend to identify Peru with the Inkas. The Inkas represent however only the final splendid phase of a cultural period which had begun at least three thousand years B.C.. The Pre-Inkan cultures were the base for the development of the Great Tahuantinsuyo Empire of the Inkas.

On the northern coastal region (from Ecuador to Lima) we had the Chimu and the Mochica (known well as warlike people, who under the leadership of King-divinities, extended their culture and military dominance to the valleys of the northern deserts) Within these Pre-Inkan cultures, with great Ceremonial Centers for the Kings, Priests and Immortal Warriors, we find exquisite pottery and gold smith work depicting daily life and ceremonies of this time.

One of the oldest Sanctuaries of the Creator is Pachacamaq, located just south of Lima City. Even in present times there are still followers of this God Pachacamaq who maintain there ancient rituals for being the most important Ceremonial Temples of pilgrimages to adorn this God, which was compared only with Wiracocha God in the

andean part of Peru. Archaeological work and restoration projects have been going on since its discovery. The Paracas culture was evident on the southern coast. A trademark of the Paracas culture was the highly evolved techniques of head surgery.

In almost 40 percent of the mummies found in the area the skulls show evidence of surgeries. This leads us to believe that the reason for these surgeries were magical-religious. Besides this they were considered to have the best individual artists. This work can be appreciated in their elaboratly done textile work.

The Nasca culture, of southern Peru, engraved gigantic animal figures and geometrical figures into the Pampas de Palpa, to this day one of the greatest enigmas of our time. These drawings, which depict the humming bird, the condor, the monkey, the alien, the dog, and geometrical designs such as spirals, triangles, trapezoids or simple lines. These can be seen from small planes that leave Nasca or Ica on a daily basis.

Chavin de Huantar, the first great civilization developed in the northern part of Peru. Archeologists considered it as the "mother of cultures in Peru" lived here during 3,000 B.C. it was the Religious and Ceremonial center of the southern hemisphere.

Tiahuanaco, the great Sun Civilization, habitated the huge Collao plateau surrounding the shores of Lake Titikaka in the southern region of our country.

Chachapoyas translated as "strong men culture", was located in the mountains of Peru during the 15th century. These Inkas advanced from Cusco valley to build the Inka Empire which at the time extended over the present territory of 6 adjacent countries. All this territory was connected by the Inka Trail, which was used by the Chaskis. Sections of the Inka trail are still intact and are world famous for its awesome adventures that it still provides today.

The glory of the Inka Empire was ended with the invasion of the Spanish Conquistadors into the lower territory in 1532 ordered by Francisco Pizarro. The last Inka, Atahualpa, was captured in Cajamarca.

After this time Peru became one of the most rich and powerful colonies of Spain and the capital of the Vice-Royalty. The ambitious Spaniards destroyed most of the work of our ancestors to initiate this imported European culture and the influence of Colonial architecture, religion, customs and language.

In 1821, Don Jose de San Martin, declared Independence for Peru from Spain. There were many battles, insurrections and revolutions that took place before this could happen. Statues of San Martin, our National Hero, can be seen through out our country, usually in city plazas.

During the first years of the republican time in Peru, there were not many changes in the customs or other aspects in the country. Just a feeling of sorrow against of many centuries of the oppression from Spain.

Ramon Cstilla was the first president of the republic who worried and took consciousness that lima and Peru country must has the same progress as other countries in America continent.

The pacific war (between Peru and Chile) was a terrible shock for this country in different ways, loosing part of the territory like Arica and Antofagasta places.

With the govermment of Nicolas de Pierola, Peru started again to arise to be one of the most important countries in South America.