Peru

Peru - Location, scenery and population

Peru is located in the western part of South America and has borders with four countries Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile and has an extension of 22,000 km² with a population of more than 28 millions inhabitants. In its capital, Lima, lives the majority of the population.

It is a country with a varied scenery where the presence of the mountain range of the Andes is an spectacular element of Peru's scenery together with dense forests, home of many exotic animal and plant life and of high ecological interest such as the Amazon rainforest, placed in the region of the "selva" (jungle). The coastal region, bordered by the Pacific Ocean presents a more plain scenery with lots of valleys.

The climate is influenced by the presence of the Andes and the Humboldt current. It can be classified into different climate types. The region of the Andes is cold during summer and with very dry winters. The region of the "selva" is characterized by heavy rainfalls and high temperatures. The coastal region, in the western part of Peru, has a moderate climate with low precipitations.

The population of Peru has influences of an important ethnical diversity, mainly Amerindian and Spanish, but also African and Asian and from other European nationalities such as German, French and Italian.

There are three official languages the Quechua, the Aymara and Spanish, this last one, is the most spoken in Peru, followed by Quechua.