Peru

📖 In short

Peru is a country in western South America on the Pacific Ocean. It has three very different regions: a dry desert coast, the high Andes in the middle, and the Amazon rainforest in the east. Its capital is Lima.

🤩 Did you know?

Lima has the oldest university in South America, founded in 1551.
Peru's two official languages are Spanish and Quechua, the language of the Incas.
Peru's currency is the sol.
Peru shares the very high Lake Titicaca with Bolivia.

🗂️ Fact file

Peru lies in western South America on the South Pacific, and is the third-largest country on the continent.

Coat of arms: the symbols on this shield stand for plentiful animal, plant and mineral resources.

Capital: Lima
Official language: Spanish and Quechua
Official name: Republic of Peru
Currency: Basic unit: the nuevo sol
Area: 1,285,216 km²
Population: Population according to 2000 estimates: 26,082,000

🔎 Find out more

🌟 Land of the Incas

The great Inca civilization lived in Peru, building cities from huge stones fitted together precisely without cement, and long roads through the mountains.

🔍 Machu Picchu

On top of a high mountain is the ancient city of Machu Picchu, built by the Incas. It's one of the wonders of the world, and tourists climb up to see its stone houses and terraces.