Peru
Terrain and geography
Peru is in Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador.
It is the 3rd largest country in Latin America behind Brazil which is the 1st and Argentina the 2nd. Peru has many different types of landscapes such as mountain ranges, deserts, beaches, and rain forests. The desert runs miles 1,555 along Peru's west coast, which is to about 1/10 of the land mass. The rain forest in Peru is the largest in in the world. It's called the Amazon Rain Forest which covers almost half the country as well as half of Brazil, along with the Amazon River Basin and the Madre de Dios River Basin. The mountain ranges in Peru are part of the 2nd highest in the world which are called the Andes with the highest peak being Mount Huascaran, which is 22,205 feet . The mountains go through Peru running north and south.
Total land - 496,222 Square Miles
Water area - 2,015 Square Miles
Border Countries -Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km,
Ecuador 1,420 km
Coast line - 1,500 Miles
Terrain - western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Natural Resources - copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
http://www.countryreports.org/country/Peru/geography.htm
Climate
Peru is below the equator so their seasons are opposite from those in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer is December through April with warm days and cool nights. February is the hottest month of the year with temperatures on average being 79 (F) with humidity at 83 (F). There are 2 seasons in the highlands (sierra) December through April is the rainy season and the rest of the year it's dry. On the coast winter is May to November and it's damp and cool. It doesn't rain there they have mist which causes it to be foggy. The temperature in Peru usually never gets higher than mid 80's (F) and not lower than the 50's (F).
Population - 30,741,062
Population in Major Urban Areas - LIMA (capital) 9.13 million; Arequipa 804,000
Ethnic Groups - Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
Languages - Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official)
1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of
minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other 0.2%
Peru's culture comes from customs, traditions and beliefs inherited from the Native Incas'. Overtime more immigrants came and they now have many different cultures in Peru. There are Indians, Spaniards, Europeans, Asians, and Africans. Their predominant religion is Roman Catholic, with many other christian based religions throughout Peru. Indigenous Peruvians usually blend their rich culture and traditional beliefs with Catholicism.
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History and Economics
The history of Peru dates back to 9000 BC, that is the earliest evidence of humans in Peru.They were known to have been using techniques like irrigation and terracing for agriculture. They also relied heavily on fishing. These societies lived mostly around the coastal and Andear regions through Peru.
The Indigenous population collapsed when the Spanish came and introduced disease to them. In the 1570's gold and silver mining was their main economic resource. Peru provided the Spanish royalty and increased their trade network. By the 18th century the silver production declined and started the decay of the Viceroyalty. During the 19th century Peruvians fought in the Battle of Ayacucho, which insured the Peruvians their independence. The economy of Peru has been one of the fastest growing in the world. They had a boom in the 2000's. Peru's economics were tied to exports of gold and silver. They now rely on; Services which accounts for 53% of the gross national product, next is Manufacturing at 22.3%, Extraction industry at 15%, and Taxes at 9.7%. Peru still exports copper, gold, zinc, textiles, and fish.The major trade deals are with the United States of America, China, Brazil, and Chili. Most Peruvians are classified to be "middle upper class" by the World Bank.
As in many part of the world, Peruvians tended to populate the coastal regions where the climate is favorable and the resources plentiful such as the fishing industry. In Peru, the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains provided fertile ground for agriculture and precocious metals for mining. The people learned how to utilize terracing and irrigation to provide food such as potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and quinoa. The ocean provided ports that enabled an avenue for exports and imports to boost their economy.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/peru/#peru-machu-picchu.jpg
http://www.countryreports.org/country/Peru.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru
