Geography of Peru
Peru is located in South America. Its neighbors are: In the north, Ecuador and Colombia, in the east Brazil, in the south Chile and Bolivia, and in the west the Pacific Ocean.
The population of Peru is 33.715 million inhabitants and more than 20.7% is rural. The city of Lima (its capital), is located in the center of the Coastal Region.
The country is divided into three main regions, each of which has a totally different climate.
- Coast It is arid, with valleys around the main cities. The climate is sub-tropical and desert in the center and south, and semitropical in the north.
- Sierra It is where the mountain range is located. The highest point of the mountain range is the Huascarán, 6,700 meters high. Most of the Sierra is rural, and its climate is cold.
- Jungle divided in: High Jungle and Low Jungle. 59% of the Peruvian territory is in this Region. The climate is tropical.
The Coast is much more developed than the Sierra or the Jungle, except for Cusco. Other important cities are: Trujillo (La Libertad), Arequipa (Arequipa), Chiclayo (Lambayeque), and Piura (Piura).
The country is further divided into 24 departments and a constitutional province (Callao). Callao is the largest port in the country, and is located adjacent to Lima.
Most of the Peruvian population speaks Spanish. In the Sierra, some inhabitants speak dialects such as Quechua or Aymara.
Religion for 97% of the population is Christian (mostly Catholic)
The main industries in Peru are: mining, textiles, fishing, agriculture and the culinary industry (Peruvian food is considered amongst the best in the world).
Due to the wide variety of climates in Peru, you can find almost all fruits and vegetables throughout the year.