Mundo Azul

With an area of 1,285,215 square km, Peru is the third-largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina, ranking it amongst the world's 20 largest nations. Peru also claims territorial rights to an area of 60 million hectares in the Antarctic.

Peru is a megadiverse country. Because of its extreem morphology Peru counts with 83 of the 105 ecological zones in the world. With more than 1800 bird species Peru is the secondmost diverse country after Colombia in birds and gives home to 10 percent of the world’s bird species. With more than 4000 butterfly species Peru has more than 20 % of the worlds butterfly species. The Peruvian lowland rainforest, the cloudforest and the northern peruvian dryforest have been declared biological hotspots by several national and international conservation organisms. Peru counts with high values of endemic species. In the Peruvian sea we can find more than 1000 species of fish, more than 1400 molusk species and more than 600 crustacean species. More than 30 species of whales and dolphins (37 % of the world’s whale and dolphin species) have been regisetered in Peruvian waters.

Peru has a population of over 26 million inhabitants. Of this population, 72.3% lives in urban areas and 27.7% in rural areas. Peru has a democratic government and is divided into 24 regions, plus the Constitutional Province of Callao. The city of Lima, located in the central coast, is the capital of Peru.

Artisan fisherman (© Stefan Austermühle)

Peru is a nation of mixed ethnic origins. Throughout its history, Peru has been a melting pot for different nations and cultures. The Incas where overthrown 500 years ago by the Spaniards. The following centuries saw the arrival of African slaves a later migration of Asian and European people. Peru is a nation whose rich ethnical diversity is one of its leading characteristics.

As part of its rich cultural tradition, Peru features many different languages. Peru’s official language is Spanish (spoken by 80.3 % of the population). The Quechua language is a major legacy of the Inca empire, and is still spoken with regional dialects in many parts of Peru (16.2 % of

the population). In addition, other languages are spoken such as Aymara (in Puno) and a startling variety of dialects in the Amazon jungle, which are divided up into 15 linguistic families and 38 different languages.

Girl in showing tradiional dance in National Park Yanachaga Chemillen (© Stefan Austermühle)

The official currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol (S/.), which is divided into 100 centimos. US Dollars are accepted in most commercial establishments, restaurants and service stations, at the current exchange rate (US$ 1.00 = S/.3.25). Many establishments accept the most popular credit cards, such as Visa, Master Card, Diners and American Express. Travelers' Checks are used with some limitations.

Tourist Visas

Tourist visas are not required for citizens of most countries in the Americas and Western Europe. Citizens of Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile do not need to have a passport or visa to visit certain regions in Peru. Inquire with the Peruvian consular representation in your country to see if you will need a visa to enter Peru. The addresses and telephone numbers of Peruvian consulates can be found in the web site of the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( http://www.rree.gob.pe ).