Peru Capital – Lima

Facts About Peru Population: 29,399,817 (2011) Total Area: 496,200 sq. miles Currency:  Peruvian nuevo sol 1 USD=2.6 PEN

Language and People in Peru Ethnic Groups Amerindian 45% mestizo 37% white 15% black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3% Language Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other 0.2% (2007 Census) Many poor children temporarily or permanently drop out of school to help support their families. About a quarter to a third of Peruvian children aged 6 to 14 work, often putting in long hours at hazardous mining or construction sites.

Religion in Peru Religious breakdown Roman Catholic 81.3% Evangelical 12.5% other 3.3% unspecified or none 2.9% Law prohibits any religious discrimination, but the church is given preferential treatment. The General Education law states that all schools have religious education as part of the curriculum throughout the education process This is true for primary and secondary schools as well as public or private. Catholicism is the only sect of Christianity taught in public schools.  (2007 Census)

Government in Peru Families in Peru Democratic republic President and Congress elected by popular vote every five years Families in Peru 5.1 – average number in a household High degree of unity among generations, no matter social standing

Education in Peru The typical school year runs from April through December. There are private and public schools. Although grades one through 12 are free, public education is not available for many of the poor and those in remote, rural areas. According to law, all Peruvians have the right to attend school. Therefore, the government has created public schools to ensure it to those who are not able to pay high amounts to get an education. But in reality, many families live on US$1.00 a day, and even public schools require some payments such as registration fees (that are cheap), uniforms, books, school supplies, bus fares, etc., which make it impossible for many children to attend. In the Amazon jungle and the high Andean towns, there are very few schools and a tremendous lack of teachers. Additionally, many people who are farmers in rural areas do not send their children to school because they are needed to help at the farm or to help their mothers with household chores.  A middle-class family may send their children to attend school and finish a career, but in Peru it is not easy to find jobs. Therefore, many professionals perform simple jobs, such as driving taxis, and the majority of professionals emigrate out of the country. 

Sports/Recreation in Peru boys play soccer girls play volleyball Surfing middle and upper classes Popular in Lima and on the northern coast of Peru

Geography and Climate of Peru Divided into 3 regions The Coast Deserts, beaches, fertile valleys Formed by a long snaking desert between the sea and the mountains. The Andes to the east and the cold Humboldt sea current that runs along the coast are what make this area so arid. split by valleys covered by a thick layer of cloud and drizzle in the winter. Temperatures rarely dip below 54°F. 300 days of sunshine and temperatures around 90-95°F.

Geography and Climate of Peru The Highlands dry and pleasant climate makes it possible to grow a wide variety of crops A characteristic of the mountain region is the drop in temperature during the day: temperatures commonly range around 75°F at midday before plunging to 24°F at night.  two well-defined seasons: the dry season (from April to October), marked by sunny days, cold nights and the lack of rain rainy season (November to March) frequent rain showers (generally more than 1000 mm).

Geography and Climate of Peru The Jungle surrounds the wide and winding Amazon river divided into two differentiated areas: the cloud forest subtropical, balmy climate heavy rain showers (around 3000 mm a year) between November and March sunny days from April to October lowland jungle dry season runs from April to October sunshine and high temperatures often topping 35°C.  The jungle features high humidity all year long. In the southern jungle, there are sometimes cold spells known locally as friajes or surazos, cold fronts which drift up from the far south of the continent between May and August, where temperatures can drop to 46-54°F

Fast Facts About Peru It is the world's top producer of silver, second in zinc, third in copper and tin, fourth in lead, and sixth in gold. The popular Lima bean which originated in Peru. The llama originated in Peru. Peru is the world's second-largest producer of cocaine. More than 50 percent of Peruvians live in poverty. The poverty line for a family of four is $300 month. Per capita income is $3,500 a year. About 60 percent of Peruvians earn less than $190 a month. Because of the rampant poverty, Lima has a large number of pueblos jovenes, or shantytowns, where residents live without running water or electricity. 

The sun sets over a small river that feeds directly into the Amazon. Nasca Lines The giant lines and figures traced in the sands of the Nasca Valley were created by the Nasca, an ancient coastal people who lived between 100 B.C. and A.D. 700. Some scientists believe the markings were used in astronomical observations. Tortora Boats, Huanchaco A row of traditional boats made of totora, a type of reed, are lined up on the beach in Huanchaco, near Trujillo. Inca Terraces Ancient Inca terraces spiral across the land in Moray, near Cusco. Inca workers paying off a labor tax, or mita, terraced thousands of mountainsides for farming. El Misti Volcano, Arequipa The El Misti volcano towers more than 19,000 feet (5,800 meters) above Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city. The city, which serves as a commercial and agricultural center for southern Peru, is filled with buildings made from the volcanic stone. Machu Picchu Experts believe that Machu Picchu was one in a series of royal Inca estates built in the Urubamba Valley. To researchers, the site’s multiple observation points suggest that the Inca worshipped the sun, and its location, surrounded by rivers and mountains, indicates a reverence for nature. Chinchero Market Many mothers in Peru, such as these at a market in Chinchero, carry their children in mantas, brightly colored woven shawls that they sling across their backs.