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Country Fact File : Peru
Volunteer on community programs in Peru

Peru Flag One of South America’s most popular tourist destintations, Its Peru’s many great civilisations which make it so intriguing. You can wander around colonial cities which have preserved the legacy of the Spanish conquistadors, visit the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, explore the lost city of Machu Picchu and ponder the enigma of the Nazca Lines. It also has some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians who still speak the ancient tongue of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life. And then there's the natural world. The verdant Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots' - a species-rich area of tropical rain forest that will make your head spin when you start to learn about its ecology.

Location	Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
Area	1,285,220 sq km
Border Countries	Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Climate	Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
Terrain	Western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Highest Point	Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
Natural Hazards	Earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
Environmental Issues	deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes
Population	28,409,897 (July 2003 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
Religions	Roman Catholic 90%
Languages	Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
Type of Government	Constitutional Republic
Capital	Lima
Independence Day	28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Chief of State/ Head of Government	President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Currency	nuevo sol (PEN)
Time	GMT -5

Did you know?

Cusco was once the capital of the Inca empire

Machu Picchu, one of the most popular archaeological sites of the world is made up of vast limestone blocks. It is still a mystery how these blocks got to the top of this mountain.

14,7121 animal species are registered as living in Peruvian Amazonia

Useful Numbers & Web Addresses

International dialing code: +51

Police tel: 105

Ambulance tel:

British Embassy: Avenida Pardo 895, (PO Box 606 Cusco), Cusco. Tel: (51) (84) 226 671/239 974

Embassy in UK: 52 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9SP. Tel: 020 7838 9223