Peru is one of the world’s most varied countries. It is a multicultural nation, filled with traditions, a unique gastronomy and vast natural reserves. It is home to 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 84 of the planet’s 117 life zones. Peru is situated in the western part of South America and shares borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. Its enormous territory, covering more than 1.2 million square kilometers, is composed of three regions: Coast, Highlands and Jungle. Its current population exceeds 31.5 million inhabitants.

National Name: Republica del Perú

Capital City: Lima

Land Area: 494,208 sq mi (1,279,999 sq km); total area: 496,223 sq mi (1,285,220 sq km)

Population: The total population of Peru in 2026 is estimated 34.9 million people.

Monetary Unit: The official monetary unit of Peru is the Sol (plural: soles), designated by the currency code PEN and symbol S/. Introduced in 1991 as the «Nuevo Sol» and renamed «Sol» in 2015.

Languages: Peru’s Constitution stipulates that the official languages are Spanish and, in areas where they are predominant, Quechua, Aymara and other aboriginal languages.

Religion: Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other %, unspecified or none 2.9% (2007 est.)

Etymology

The word “Peru” is derived from “Bir,” the name of a local ruler who lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama, in the early 16th century. When Spanish explorers visited his lands in 1522, they were located in the southernmost part of the New World, which was not yet known to Europeans. Thus, when Francisco Pizarro explored the regions farther south, they came to Bir or Peru. The Spanish Crown gave the name legal status with the 1529 Capitulation de Toledo, which designated the newly encountered Inca Empire as the province of Peru under Spanish rule, the country adopted the denomination Viceroyalty of Peru, which became the Republic of Peru after the Peruvian War of Independence.

Geography

Peru covers an area of 1,285,216 km² (496,225 sq mi). It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Andes Mountains run parallel to the Pacific Ocean, defining the three regions traditionally used to describe the country geographically. The Costa (coast), to the west, is a narrow plain, largely arid except for valleys created by seasonal rivers. The Sierra (highlands) is a region of the Andes, encompassing the Altiplano plateau and the country’s highest peak, Huascarán, at 6,768 m (22,205 ft). The third region is the selva (jungle), a vast expanse of flat terrain covered by the Amazon rainforest that extends east. Almost 60% of the country’s area is located within this region.

Climate

The climate varies according to the area. On the coast, winter lasts from June to September. During this period, the mountainous regions are often sunny during the day but cold at night.

Culture

Peruvian culture is primarily rooted in Amerindian and Spanish traditions, though it has also been influenced by various African, Asian, and European ethnic groups. Peruvian artistic traditions date back to the elaborate pottery, textiles, jewellery, and sculpture of Pre-Inca cultures. The Incas maintained these crafts and achieved notable architectural milestones, including the construction of Machu Picchu. Baroque dominated colonial art, though modified by native traditions. During this period, most art focused on religious subjects; the numerous churches of the era and the paintings of the Cusco School are representative. Art stagnated after independence until the emergence of Indigenismo in the early 20th century. Since the 1950s, Peruvian art has been eclectic and shaped by both foreign and local art trends.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 60Hz. (110 volts AC is available in most 4- and 5-star hotels)

Currency Exchanges

Currency exchanges, or casas de cambio, can easily be located in Peru, typically in the airports and main plazas. The rates fluctuate daily.

Banks, Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

In all tourist areas, you can find banks and ATMs that accept Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, and Cirrus.

Economy

For the past decade, Peru has boasted the fastest growing economy in Latin America. It has the world’s biggest reserves of silver, as well as Latin America’s largest reserves of gold, lead and zinc.

The Peruvian coast is renowned for its marine resources and export-based agribusiness sector, which includes major products such as asparagus, blueberries, table grapes, avocados, organic bananas and paprika. For its part, the Amazon basin possesses large reserves of oil and natural gas, as well as abundant forestry resources. 

The Peruvian government continues to implement measures to reduce bureaucratic barriers to investment, encourage the formalization of small businesses and stimulate capital investment in infrastructure. 

Today, Peru enjoys trade agreements with the world’s leading economies, including the United States, China and the European Union. It is also a member of trade blocs, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), or Pacific Alliance.

Peru was the cradle of ancient civilizations which began to develop more than ten thousand years ago, on its territory’s cold highland plains.

History

Caral was the culmination of Peru’s first cultural process, known as the Initial Period, and its main characteristics are the building of mud brick stepped temples, circular plazas and small villages surrounding administrative and ceremonial centers. Major archaeological sites such as Sechin, on the Ancash coast, and the Kotosh Temple of the Crossed Hands, in Huanuco, date from this period.

Thousands of years later, Chavin culture emerged in the north-central Andes, in the present-day region of Ancash.

Around 700 BC, on the central coast, another fascinating culture emerged: Paracas, the first major desert society. The people of Paracas were skilled weavers –their large-scale textiles with intricate designs have been admired throughout the world- and their burial practices are particularly unique.

Following this first phase of development, what we now acknowledge as the first regional empire emerged, around 550 AD. Known as Wari, and a continuation of the Peruvian and Bolivian high plains Tiahuanaco culture, this society dominated a vast territory across much of the area that would later become the Inca empire of Tahuantinsuyo. It was the Wari who first began to lay out the great pre-Hispanic highway network and establish the social and territorial administrative system that would eventually be inherited by the Incas of Cusco.

With the disappearance of Wari, around 1 200 AD, the Late Intermediate period began, in the form of a second wave of regional cultural developments, among which the Chimu are particularly worthy of note, as the builders of Chan Chan, the world’s largest mud brick city.

The Chachapoyas also emerged at this time, the so-called “people of the clouds”, who occupied the luxuriant cloud forests of the Amazonas region, where they built extraordinary cities and mausoleums carved into sheer cliffs.

Tourism

Thanks to a long history defined by major ancient civilizations, Peru is home to more than 5000 archaeological sites. Many of these remain shrouded in mystery, but are still capable of transporting visitors to the periods when such societies flourished. For example, a visit to Machu Picchu reveals the perfection of the Inca empire; this sacred city can be reached onboard the luxurious trains that run through imposing mountain scenery dotted with colorful Andean villages.

Peru is synonymous with natural beauty and it is one of the world’s ten most biologically diverse countries. With more than 200 protected natural areas, it possesses 84 of the planet’s 117 life zones. Peru has created 14 national parks, 15 national reserves, 9 national sanctuaries and 11 reserved zones. It is home to more than 1800 species of birds and 10% of all the reptile, mammal and fish species that exist on Earth. It also has 3 500 varieties of orchids.

Peru is also a paradise for lovers of adventure, offering a range of outdoor sporting activities for the curious, beginners, amateurs and experts, including trekking, climbing, mountain biking, surfing, paragliding, hang gliding, camping, canoeing and kayaking. These are just some of the most popular activities that form part of the host of possibilities offered by the varied geography of Peru.

Peru’s star products

• Alpaca
  The Peruvian Andes are the natural habitat of an exceptional range of flora and fauna, with many species gaining increasing importance across a number of major industries within the country. One of these is the Peruvian alpaca, an animal with fine wool that has become one of the most prized fibers within the global fashion industry. 

• Cotton
  Peru’s geography and climate have made it the perfect place for the production of a type of cotton much in demand across the global textile industry. Peruvian cotton’s long and soft fibers allow for the production of highly durable and extremely uniform textiles, ideal for premium quality garments and admired throughout the world.  

• Coffee
  In Peru coffee is one of the two most important agricultural export products –together with asparagus- and it accounts for half of all the nation’s farming exports. On the international market, Peruvian coffee has gained an excellent reputation.  

• Peruvian Paso Horses
  The Peruvian Paso Horse is one of the world’s most exquisite equine breeds, renowned for its smooth ambling gait and harmonious proportions. What makes this breed different from other horses is its extraordinarily fine and elegant four-beat lateral trot, which it achieves by raising its front and rear hoofs in a diagonal pattern. Thanks to its horizontal equilibrium, riding a Peruvian Paso Horse is a delightful experience, and witnessing the horse’s gait is a true spectacle.  

• Gastronomy and Pisco
  The geographical range and the different climate zones produced by Peru’s vertical topography have led to the creation and development of an enormously rich gastronomic tradition which can be traced back thousands of years. This tradition has been enriched by successive waves of migrants from four continents. Today, Peruvian cooking is a melting pot of traditions and fusions, employing the finest techniques of global haute cuisine.
  And, as if that were not enough, Peruvian gastronomy also has the good fortune to be blessed with an exceptional beverage: traditional pisco. Considered Peru’s national drink, pisco is a white grape brandy and the essential accompaniment to Peruvian food.
• Super Foods Peru
  Since February 2018, the brand Super Foods Peru has been making its mark at the world’s most representative food events and fairs. Super Foods Peru showcases the qualities of functionality and wellbeing offered by Peru’s natural resources and the multiple health benefits of the nation’s food products.