About Peru.-Peru History - Peru Geography - Peru Economy - Peru Culture-Peru Politics-Peru Religions - Peru Etnography - Peru Art - Peru Cuisine.

Officially the Independet Republic of Peru is a country in Western South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. In addition to being known as the cradle of the Inca empire, Peru harbors many indigenous ethnic groups, making it a major historical and cultural site in the Andean world.

Inca Culture:The Inca Empire dominated western South America from the southern boundary of modern Colombia, to the northern regions of Chile and Argentina. In fact, only the emperor was called “Inca," which meant a "god on Earth". The empire originated from a tribe based in Cusco, which became the capital. Pachacutec was the first ruler to considerably expand the boundaries of the Cusco state. His offspring later ruled an empire by both violent and peaceful conquest. In Cusco, the royal city was created to resemble a puma; the head, the main royal structure, formed what is now known as Sacsayhuaman... The empire was divided into four regions: Chinchasuyu, Antisuyu, Contisuyu and Collasuyu. For example, Inti, the sun god, was to be worshipped as one of the most important gods of the empire. Many strange and interesting customs were observed, for example the extravagant feast of Inti Raymi in which the habitants gave thanks to Sun god, and the young women who comprised the Virgins of the Sun, sacrificed virgins devoted to the sun god, Inti. The empire, for being so large, also had an impressive transportation system of roads to all points of the empire called the Inca Trail, and Chasquis, message carriers who relayed information from anywhere in the empire to Cusco, and vice versa.

Spanish Rulers:The Inca empire was defeated by Spanish conquistador's superior firepower, and their greed for gold. Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian coast in 1531 at an opportune moment, since the Incan Empire was in the middle of a civil war. Two brothers, Huáscar and Atahualpa, were engaged in a struggle for power for their recently deceased father's empire. Pizarro's forces captured Atahualpa and held him ransom, demanding a room full of gold for his release. But after his followers complied, Pizarro murdered Atahualpa by garroting him. In 1535, Pizarro established the new capital, Lima, which became the Viceroyalty of Peru, royal seat of power for Spanish South America for two centuries... The Viceroyalty was a major source of gold and silver for the Spanish Empire. Lima was one of the two most important cities in Spain's empire in America, the other being Mexico City. It is said that the country received its name from a Spaniard pronunciation of the Viru River.

Peru Politics:Politics of Peru takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Peru is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Congress. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative.

Peru Administration Divisions:Peru's territory is divided successively into regions (25), provinces (180) and districts (1747). The Lima Province is located in the central coast of the country, is unique in that it doesn't belong to any of the twenty-five regions... The city of Lima is located in this province, which is also known as Lima Metropolitan area. Until 2002, Peru was divided into 24 departments, plus one constitutional province (Callao), and many people still use this term when referring to today's regions, although it is now obsolete.. Current Peruvian regions are: Amazonas - Ancash - Arequipa - Apurimac - Ayacucho - Cajamarca - Callao (Constitutional Province) - Cusco - Huancavelica - Huánuco - Ica - Junín - La Libertad - Lambayeque - Lima - Loreto - Madre de Dios - Moquegua - Pasco - Piura - Puno - San Martín - Tacna - Tumbes - Ucayali.

Peru Geography:Peru's territory has an area of 1,285,216 km². It is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia on the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and finally Chile and Bolivia to the south. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean... Its population has more than 26 millions of inhabitants that speak Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and others native languages. Eastern Peru consists mostly of the most tropical jungles of the Amazon Rain Forest, the largest on Earth. In the southeast along the border with Bolivia lies the Titicaca Lake— the highest navigable lake in the world. The Altiplano plateau is a dry basin located along the slopes of the Andes in southeastern Peru... Along the border with Chile, the Atacama Desert is the driest place on the planet. The Peruvian Sea is home to a large amount and variety of fish life. The Sechura Desert is located in northwestern Peru along the Pacific coastline. The main rivers of Peru include the Ucayali, Marañón, Amazon (which is formed by the confluence of the Marañón and the Ucayali), Putumayo, Pastaza, Napo, Jurua, and the Purus.
Peru is divided in 24 departments and one constitutional province.

Peru Physiographic Regions:When the Spanish arrived, they divided Peru (because of political reasons) in three main regions: the Coastal region, that is bounded by the Pacific Ocean; the Highlands, that is located on the Andean Heights, and the Jungle, that is located on the Amazonian Jungle. But Javier Pulgar Vidal, a geographer who studied the biogeographic reality of the Peruvian territory for a long time, proposed the creation of eight Natural Regions. In 1941, the III General Assembly of the Pan-American Institute of Geography and History aprove this motion. These eight Peruvian regions are: Chala or Coast (subtropical dry and tropical savanna) - Yunga - Quechua - Suni or Jalca - Puna - Janca - Rupa Rupa or High Jungle - Omagua or Low Jungle.

Peru Economy:Growth up to the year 2005 has been driven by construction, investment, domestic demand, and now exports to different world regions. Peru's economy is one of the market more generously handled of Latin America. Attracting both the domestic and foreign investment in tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, industry, petroleum and natural gas and power industries was thought and hoped to heavily increase after 2005. In April 2006, Peru signed a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, becoming the second country in South America to sign it; now both countries wait for the approval of the terms by their respective congresses. Peru is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Chile, Mexico, Singapore and India. Peru currently has free trade agreements with the Andean Community, which is composed by Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela... It also holds Free Trade Agreements with many of the countries of the Mercosur as well as Thailand, and during the recent APEC summit, Peru voiced intentions to sign Free Trade Agreements with China, Japan and South Korea. It is also pushing for a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. All these negotiations will broadly expand the markets in which the Peruvian products are traded. Peru has a great export potential in agricultural products, textiles, clothing, shoes, petroleum derivatives, natural gas, minerals, as well as fish and seafood products, tourism, and manufacturing. In 2005 Peruvian exports reached US$ 17.1 billion (an increase of 34.6% compared to 2004) and it is expected to grow 35% for this year reaching US$23.5 billion at the end of 2006. Also, the economy has shown a healthy grow in all its sectors (energy, construction, commerce, fishing, manufacturing, tourism, etc) in 2005 growing over 6.67% (one the fastest growth rates in South America) and it is projected to grow a strong 7% for 2006 considering that commodity prices, which Peru is a great producer, will have an estimated increment of 25% on average. For the next four years (until 2010) the Peruvian government has registered over US$ 10 billion in private investment (both domestic and foreign) in mining and energy sectors, as well as investments of US$ 15 billion in other sectors such as industry, commerce, tourism, seafood and agriculture, which will keep the economy growing at efficient levels of 5% or more, annually. Unfortunately poverty in Peru is still high, with a rate of 51.2% of the total population, however the poverty rate is being reduced slowly and it is expected to be reduced to 20% of the population in 10 years.

Peru Language:Peru has two official languages - Spanish and the foremost indigenous language, Quechua. Spanish is used by all coastal Peruvians, the government, the media, and in education and formal commerce; although there is an increasing and organized effort to teach Quechua in public schools.. The major obstacle to a more widespread use of the Quechua language is the lack of modern media to use it: for example books, newspapers, software, magazines, technical journals, etc. However, non-governmental organizations as well as state sponsored groups are involved in projects to edit and translate major works into the Quechua language; for instance, in late 2005 a superb version of Don Quijote was presented in Quechua.. Despite this work an even more fundamental problem remains: most of the native speakers of Quechua are illiterate.. Thus, Quechua, along with Aymara and the minor indigenous languages, remains essentially an oral language. Until more work is done in terms of teaching written Quechua, it is unlikely to rival Spanish as the major language of the country.

Peru Culture:Like its rich national history, the popular culture of contemporary Peru is the result of a fusion of cultures, constituted primarily from the cultural legacy of the Incas and the culture of Spain. This cultural mixture has been further enriched by the contributions of so many other cultures of the world that have come to call Peru home throughout its history; from African slaves, to non-Hispanic Europeans, and even East Asians.. Together they have given rise to one of the richest and varied cultures in the world.

Peru Art:The art of Peru was shaped by the melting between Spanish and Amerindian cultures. During pre-Columbian times, Peru was one of the major centers of artistic expression in The Americas, where Pre-Inca cultures, such as Chavín, Moche, Paracas, Wari, Nasca, Chimu, and Tiahuanaco developed high-quality pottery, textiles, jewelry, and sculpture.. The Incas continued to maintain these crafts but made even more impressive achievements in architecture. The mountain town of Machu Picchu and the buildings at Cusco are excellent examples of Inca architectural design... During the colonial period, Spanish baroque fused with the rich Inca tradition to produce Mestizo art. The Cusco school of largely anonymous Indian artists followed the Spanish baroque tradition with influence from the Italian, Flemish, and French schools... Peru has passed early 20th century brought "indigenismo," expressed in a new awareness of Indian culture. Since World War II, Peruvian writers, artists, and intellectuals such as Cesar Vallejo and José María Arguedas have participated in worldwide intellectual and artistic movements, drawing especially on U.S. and European trends. In the decade after 1932, the "indigenous school" of painting headed by José Sabogal dominated the cultural scene in Peru. Promising young artists continue to develop now that Peru's economy allows more promotion for the arts.

Peru Music:Peruvian music is very diverse. Much of Peru's music is derived from Andean, Andalusian Spanish and African roots. Modern Peruvian music and Amazon influenced music is also common in Peru. Typical Peruvian Andean instruments include the Andean flute, Quena, the Zampoña and the mestizo Charango, whch is a tiny guitar with a unique sound.. These instruments are most popular in the southern Andean cities of Perú, as a result of the European, Spanish and Andean mix... Coastal music is rooted in the haciendas and the callejones of cities such as Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, Tumbes and Ica. It involves a creole version of the Spanish guitar and the famous Peruvian instrument Cajon drum... The southern Andean region is famous for the Huayno, a mestizo chant that involves Charango guitar, beautifully-toned lamenting vocals and sometimes the Andean Harp. The Huayno Ayacuchano is probably the most famous of its styles since it was played on creole and even Spanish guitar, adding to it, its feel even more soulful and also a romantic expression.

Peru Cuisine:Peruvian cuisine, for years unnoticed abroad, has recently exploded onto the world gastronomic scene. Peruvian cuisine is a blend of Amerindian and Spanish roots, but has also been influenced by other groups, including Africans, Italians, Chinese and Japanese, all of whom have added their own ingredients and traditions to the mix. Peru's many climate zones has also made possible to grow up a wide range of crops. There are a dozens of different native potato, maize and chile pepper varieties from the Andes being Rocoto one of the most popular, to the plentiful fish and seafood from the Pacific coast, mangoes and limes from the coastal valleys, and bananas and manioc from the Amazon jungle. One of Peru's most known dishes is the Ceviche, is a type of seafood cocktail where the fish has been marinated in lime with onions and hot peppers, but not cooked. The lime's acid precipitates the protein and hence turns the fish white, "cooking" it.. There are several types of ceviche that include fish only, mixed seafood, mussels, and a lot more variety. Other typical food include Staples from the Andes; Chicha (maize beer), and Chicha Morada (made out of purple corn), Humitas (tamales), Roasted Cuy or Roasted Guinea Pig, Papa a la Huancaina, Jalea de Mar, Chilcano, Chupe de Camarones, Sudado, Aguadito, Tallarin Saltado, Aji de Gallina, Arroz con Pollo, Seco de Res, Pachamanca, Chicharrones, Tacu Tacu, Carapulcra (Dry potato), Chunchuli, Salchipapas, Mondonguito a la Italiana, Chanfainita, Ocopa, different Chifa dishes (Chinese food made with Peruvian ingredients), Estofado, Bistec a la Pobre, Arroz con Pato, Olluquito, Anticuchos (grilled cow heart), Rocoto Relleno, Empanadas, Pollo a la Brasa, Lechon, Picante de Mariscos, Arroz con Leche, Turron de Doña Pepa.. Caramel, also known as Manjar Blanco in Peru, is a very popular dessert. Other desserts include Mazamorra Morada, Arroz con Leche, Flan, Crema Volteada, Leche Asada, Torta Helada.. The most popular soft drink is called Inca Kola, which is a yellowish cream soda, but other sodas are popular too, such as Kola Inglesa, Guarana Backus, and other very common fruit sodas like oranges, pineapple, and lemon, and also the well-know soda, Coca-Cola.. Peru's most well knowned beverage is the Pisco, this beverages are originated in the Peruvian department of Ica.

Peru: Capital Lima. Population: 8.5 million (2007) // Area: 1,285,220 sq km (496,225 sq miles) Population 30 million The population of the country is largely Indian and Mestizo // Time GMT - 5. Government Republic.Gained independence from Spain in 1824, having declared it in 1821.
President : Ollanta Humala .Religion 81% Roman Catholic, 2.7% other denominations, 16.3% unspecified or none. Language:Although the majority of city and town dwellers speak Spanish, Qechua is spoken in most mountain areas and Aymara /Spanish on the Lake titicaca Islands.many people in City tourism areas speak English. Electricity: 220 volts AC, 60Hz. (110 volts AC is available in most 4- and 5-star hotels.) Peru is a large, mountainous country on the Pacific coast of South America that borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west.

Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turistico) this visitors ticket costs 130 soles approx US$49 (half price for students) and is valid for 10 days.. The full Cusco Tourist Ticket ticket allows you entry to 15 sites These sites which are part of the City tour are Sacsayhuaman / Qenko/Puca Pucara/Tambo Machay and these sites which are visited in the Sacred Valley tour are Pisac/Ollantaytambo/Chinchero plus other sites in Cusco such as Religious Art Museum / Church of San Blas / Regional History Museum.

Note this ticket does not include: Entrance to Koricancha (or Qorikancha) 10 soles Entrance to Cathedral 25 soles (the visit of the Cathedral is optional as many people prefer not to visit now that it is more expensive so there is the option to have afternoon tea in a restored Colonial house / hotel if you prefer during this part of the City tour)

Shopping :There are many attractive Peruvian handicrafts such as alpaca wool sweaters, alpaca and llama rugs, Indian masks, colourful weaving and silver jewellery. Galleries and handicraft shops abound in Cusco (Avenida El Sol) near the wanchaq train station there is a big market and outdoor Andean craft markets in places such as Pisac in the Sacred Valley are famous.

Required Clothing : Lightweights during summer days with much warmer clothes worn in upland areas, especially at night. Good fleeces are advised during cooler months. Rain gear is recommended during the rainy season, particularly in the Andes or Amazon. The main thing is use layering ..always have something with you to warm up quickly.
Communications Telephone: Country code: 51. City Code Cusco is 84 Telephone cards are available in the main cities from stands and supermarkets.
Mobile Telephone : Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Mobile phones can be rented in Lima and the main cities. Coverage is sporadic.
Internet: Public Internet booths and Internet cafes are widely available in cities and most towns. Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly common in cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Post : Airmail to Western Europe takes up to one week. Postal facilities are limited outside Lima. First-class airmail from Europe or North America addressed to PO boxes in Peru usually takes only a few days, but may be subject to delay. The main post office (Correo Central de Lima) is near the Plaza de Armas and in Cusco is on Ave el Sol.
Post office opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000; Sat 0900-1330.