Peru By: Roberto Martinez

Physical Geography Location- located at the west of South America, along the Pacific Ocean. Regions-Peru is separated into three regions: The Costa, The Sierra, and The Montana. The Costa- Narrow strip of desert near the coast of Peru. Made up of sand, and some dry land with rivers creating agricultural oases. Many of Peru’s largest cities are located here. The Sierra- Highland region of Peru. Consists of the Andes Mountains.

Physical Geography cont. The Montana- East of the Sierra. Takes up more than half of Peru. Barely any settlement here because of the dense jungle. Climate- Even though Peru is right below the Equator, not all of it has a tropical climate. Along the coast, there is very little rainfall (5mm) and cold temperatures compared to the Montana region which is hot, humid, and receives a lot of rainfall each year.

History Peru was once part of the great Incan Empire, and later on it was the major vice royalty of Spanish South America. Conquered in 1531-1533 by Francisco Pizarro. Peru rose from 20 years of dictatorship in 1945 with the inauguration of President Jose Luis Bustamente y Rivero. On July 28, 1821, Peru gained its independence, but the Spanish were not defeated until 1824. For a hundred years after, there were constant revolutions.

Government/Economy Former Spanish colony that struggled until Alberto Fujimori became President. Constitutional Republic. Capital-Lima. Constitution written on December 29, 1993. As of 2011, Peru is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Fishing is one of Peru’s main productive activities.

Culture Peru culture is very rich and shows the influence of other countries in it. The Hispanic and Amerindian traditions are the two main influences in Peru culture. Music- a fusion of sounds and styles drawing on Peru’s Andean, Spanish, and African roots. Some instruments that are used include the flute, the box, and the guitar. Food- Consists mainly of soups, corn pancakes, rice, eggs, and vegetables.

Culture cont. Religion- the predominant religion in Peru is Roman Catholic, but there are also a lot of Christian faiths. Language- Spanish is the main language in Peru, although most highland Indians prefer Quechua. Art- Peru has one of the most largest varieties of arts and crafts in the world. It has diversity, color, and creativity.

Sources indexmundi.com limaeasy.com lnfoplease.com http:geography.howstuffworks.com/south-america/geography-of-peru1.htm adventure-life.com machipicchu.org