PERU

PERU, LAND OF MAGIC AND DIVERSITY

Surface Area: With 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 holds
sway over the sea up to 200 miles from the Peruvian coast and has territorial rights to an area
of 60 million hectares in the Antarctic. Peru is divided into 24 departments. Lima is the capital of
Peru.
Population: 28.000.000 inhabitants.- Urban: 72% - Rural: 28%
Peru is a nation of mixed ethnic origins. Throughout its history, Peru has been the meeting
ground for different nations and cultures. The indigenous population was joined 500 years ago
by the christians. As a result of this encounter, and later enriched by the migration of African
blacks, Asians and Europeans, Peruvian man emerged as the representative of a nation whose
ethnic mix is one of its leading characteristics.
Language: Official languages:- Spanish: 80% - Quechua: 16% - Other languages: 4%
As part of its rich cultural tradition, Peru features many different languages. Although Spanish is
commonly spoken across the country, Quechua is a major legacy of the Inka empire, and is still
spoken with regional dialects in many parts of Peru. In addition, other languages are spoken
such as Aimara (in Puno) and a startling variety of dialects in the Amazon jungle, which are
divided up into 15 linguistic families and 40 different languages.
Currency. The official currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol (S/.), which is divided into 100
centimos. The currency includes coins for 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimos and 1, 2 and 5 sol coins.
There are bills in the denomination of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Nuevos Soles.
Government. Peru is a democratic republic. The president and members of Congress are
elected every five years by universal suffrage. The current constitutional president of Peru is
Alan Garcia Pérez (2006-2011).
Religion: Roman Catholic: 90%, Evangelical: 6%, Other religions: 4%
Peru is a forced religious country: a diversity of beliefs and freedom of worship can be seen
from the wide range of festivals and rituals that feature the Catholic dogmas and its fanatic
traditions.
*Heir to ancient cultures, Perú is a magical spot which involves one of the richest bio- diversities
of Earth, and is a melting pot of different cultures who together are forging the promise of a
better future.
Important hotel infrastructure:• 2,000 lodgings offering 200.000 beds.
• 25 five-star hotels, 30 four-star hotels, 500 three-star hotels, and 42 lodges.
Accessibility by air and land: • 14 airports equipped to receive commercial flights.
• 7 airline companies offering domestic flights.

Archaeological heritage. Ten thousand years of history are lived through museums and historical places. While Peru
inevitably evokes images of Machu Picchu and the Inka empire, the country is also riddled with archaeological sites which are
a legacy of even more ancient times, when great civilizations bequeathed a legacy of their art, customs and rituals, their
wisdom and skills.
Nature and Landscapes.
• As home to 84 of the 104 life zones that exist on our plant makes Peru a privileged destination for nature lovers.
• Close to 20% of the world birds and 10% of the world's reptiles live here.
• Peru has converted 13% of its territory into Protected Natural Areas.
Festivities and Traditions. Peru is a country that sings and dances in joy and sadness with colour and a great deal of
paraphernalia.
Incomparable cuisine. Over 10,000 restaurants across the country reflect the diversity of a nation that has mixed its native
traditions with the cuisines of Europe, Arabia, China, Africa and Japan. The result: unique flavours that make Peruvian cuisine
one of the best and most varied in the world.
Telephone. Peru features a far-reaching telephone network that provides services for national and international long-
distance calls from private telephone lines and public cabins. There are also millions clients who have cellular phones, and
satellite communications are currently being developed.
Internet . This service providers across the country has given the public access to Internet. Known in Peru as Cabinas
Internet, the average cost of an hour's connection is S/.3,50 (US$1).
Ports. Peru's largest port is Callao, outside Lima. Other major ports include Paita, Salaverry, Chimbote, Callao, Pisco, Ilo and
Matarani.
*The main roads running down the length of the country are the Pan-American Highway (North and South), which links up the
towns along Peru's coast, and the Marginal Jungle Highway which links up the towns in the northern jungle with the south, near
the Bolivian border. Cutting inland is the Central Highway, which starts out in Lima and runs up to the central highlands,
climbing through the high mountain pass of Ticlio (Kilometer 132), which at 4,818 meters above sea level is also the world's
highest railway pass. From here, the road descends to the towns of La Oroya and Tarma, continuing down to the
Chanchamayo jungle valley in the department of Junín. The government plans to build another 1,819.2 km of roads in the next
century.
Geography. Peru is divided into three regions.
Although this simple division is a fair portrait of Peru's geography, the reality is much richer and far more complex: in Peru,
nature appears to have taken on particular characteristics which have turned its mountains, plains, jungles and valleys into
unique habitats. An extraordinary variety of eco-systems shelters a wide diversity of animals and plants.
*The Coast. Which features deserts, beautiful beaches and fertile valleys. The Peruvian coastline is formed by a long snaking
desert hemmed in 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. From the Sechura desert to the Nasca plains and the Atacama desert, the dry
coastal terrain is occasionally split by valleys covered by a thick layer of cloud and drizzle in the winter. Humidity in these areas
produces a sensation of cold, although temperatures rarely dip below 12°C. During the summer, meanwhile, the sun beats
down and temperatures often top 30°C. The central and southern sections of the coast feature two well-defined seasons:
winter and summer. The north coast, meanwhile, is not touched by the effects of the cold current, which means it enjoys many
days of sunshine a year and warm temperatures all year-long (as much as 35°C in the summer). The rain season runs from
December to March
*The Highlands. A mountainous area dominated by the Andes, where the Waskaran mountain soars to 6,768 meters. In the
Peruvian highlands, there are two well-defined seasons: the dry season (from April to October), marked by sunny days and
cold nights; the rainy season (November to March), when there are frequent rain showers. A characteristic of the mountain
region is the drop in temperature during the day: temperatures commonly range around 25°C at midday before plunging to 0°
C at night. The steep slopes of the Andes means temperatures gradually drop in the highest region, known as the puna, the
highland plain.
*The Jungle. A vast region of tropical vegetation in the Amazon River Basin, home to Peru's largest natural reserves. The
vast Peruvian jungle, which surrounds the wide and winding Amazon river, is divided into two differentiated areas: the cloud
forest (above 700 masl), which features a subtropical, balmy climate, with heavy rain showers (around 3000 mm a year)
between November and March, and sunny days from April to October; and the lowland jungle (below 700 masl), where the dry
season runs from April to October, with 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 8-12°C.
Note: To calculate Fahrenheit temperatures: 9/5 (ºC) + 32

The Pre-Inkas Cultures. Over the course of 5000 years, pre-Inca cultures settled along the Peruvian coast and highlands.
The power and influence of some civilizations was to hold sway over large swaths of territory, which during their decline, gave
way to minor regional centres. Many of them stood out for their ritual pottery, their ability to adapt and superb management of
their natural resources; a vast knowledge from which later the Inka Empire was to draw.

-A few Peruvian civilizations settled in Wantar (Ancash) in around (1200 - 1000 BC). The power of the civilization, based on
nature, was centred in the Chavin de Wantar, temple, whose walls and galleries were filled with sculptures of feline features.
-The Parakas culture (200 AD - 600 BC) rose to power along the south coast, and was to craft superb skills in textile weaving
considering into the best of the ancient civilizations of the world.
-The north coast was dominated by the Mochika civilization (200 AD - 600 BC). The culture was led by authorities in the
coastal valleys, such as the Lord of Sipan. The Mochika pots which featured portraits, and their iconography in general were
surprisingly detailed and showed great skill in design.
-The highlands saw the rise of the Pukara and Tiwanaku culture (500 AD) based in the Kollao region (which covered parts of
modern-day Bolivia and Chile). The Tiawanaku were to bequeath a legacy of agricultural and the management of a variety of
ecological zones.
-The Nasca culture (300 AD - 900 BC) were able to tame the coastal desert by bringing water through underground
aqueducts. They carved out vast geometric and animal figures on the desert floor, a series of symbols forming part of an
agricultural calendar which even today baffles researchers.
-Wari culture (600 AD) introduced urban settlements in the Ayacucho area and expanded its influence across the Andes.
-The refined Chimu culture (1100 - 1500) crafted gold and other metals into relics and built the mud-brick citadel of Chan
Chan, near the northern coastal city of Trujillo.
-The Chachapoyas culture (800 AD) made the best possible use of arable land and built their constructions on top of the
highest mountains in the northern cloud forest. The vast Kuelap city is a fine example of how they adapted to their
environment.
-The Inka empire (1200 - 1500 BC) was possibly the most organized civilization in South America. Their economic system,
distribution of wealth, artistic manifestations and architecture impressed the first of the christian chroniclers. The Inkas
honoured the Mother Earth, Pachamama and the Sun (Inti). The Inka sovereign, lord of the Tawantinsuyu, the Inka empire,
was held to be sacred and to be the descendant of the Sun. Thus, the legend of the origin of the Inkas tells how the sun sent
his children Mallku Qhapaq and Mama Ocllo (and in another version the four Ayar brothers and their wives) to found Cusco,
the sacred city and capital of the Inka empire. The rapid expansion of the Inka Empire stemmed from their extraordinary
organizational skills. Communities were grouped, both as families and territorially, around the ayllu, their corner of the empire,
and even if villagers had to move away for work reasons, they did not lose their bond to the ayllu. The Inka moved around
large populations, either as a reward or punishment, and thus consolidated the expansion while drawing heavily from the
knowledge of the cultures that had flourished prior to the Inkas. The Inka's clan was the panaka, made up of relatives and
descendants, except for the one who was the Inka's successor, who would then form his own panaka. Sixteenth-century
Spanish chroniclers recorded a dynasty of 13 rulers, running from the legendary Mallku Qhapaq down to Atawallpa, who was
to suffer death at the hands of the christians. The Tawantinsuyu expanded to cover part of what is modern-day Colombia to
the north, Chile and Argentina to the south and all of Ecuador and Bolivia.
*The members of the panaka clans were Inka nobles, headed by the Inka sovereign. The power of the clans and the Inka was
tangible in every corner of the empire, but the might of the Inkas reached its peak in the architecture of Cusco: the Korikancha
or Temple of the Sun, Ollantaytambo and Sacsaywaman, and above all the city of Machu Picchu. For further information about
the Inkas, click here: http://incas.perucultural.org.pe

as a result of the Christian invasion in the early sixteenth century. In 1532, the troops of Francisco Pizarro captured
Inka Atawallpa in the northern highland city of Cajamarca. The indigenous population was to dwindle during the first
Viceroy Francisco de Toledo laid down a set of rules governing the colonial economy: the mita system used
indigenous labor to operate the mines and produce arts and crafts. These activities, together with a monopoly over
trade, formed the basis of the colonial economy. But the changeover in the dynasty and the Borbon reforms in the
eighteenth century sparked dissent among many social sectors. The main indigenous uprising was led by Tupak
Amaru II, which was to set rolling the Creole movement that led to independence of Hispanic America from the Spanish
crown in the early nineteenth century. Until the seventeenth century, the Peruvian vice-regency covered an area
stretching from Panama down to Tierra del Fuego

The birth of the Peruvian State. Peru was declared an independent nation by Jose de San Martin in 1821, and in
1824 Simon Bolivar put an end to the War of Independence. However, despite efforts to organize the young Peruvian
republic, in the nineteenth century the country had to face up to the cost of the struggle: a tough economic crisis and a
tradition of military strongmen who gave civilians little chance to govern. By 1860, thanks to income from guano, cotton
and sugar, Peru was able to do without enforced labor imposed on the indigenous population and African slaves alike.
Chinese and European immigrants swelled the workforce and integrated with Peru's society. The country was linked up
by a railway network, and during the mandate of President Manuel Pardo, Peru organized its first civilian government.
The first Japanese immigrants were to arrive at the end of the nineteenth century. But in 1879, the country found itself
at war with Chile. Peru was defeated and left bankrupt. After another spell of military regimes, Peru returned to civilian
rule, giving rise to a time called "the Aristocratic Republic". The economy was dominated by the land-owning elite, and
an export-oriented model imposed. The success of the rubber boom lent fresh splendor to the myth of El Dorado.

Peru Today. The early part of the twentieth century was marked by a drawn-out civilian dictatorship headed by
President Augusto Leguia. The project to modernize the country, creating works for a New Fatherland left the State
heavily in debt and unable to deal with the 1929 crash. It was also a time of intellectual creativity, symbolized by the
founder of the APRA party, Victor Raul Haya de la Torre and Jose Carlos Mariategui, the father of Socialist beliefs in
Peru and the centre of intellectual and artistic thinking in the country during his short life. After the fall of Leguia,
military regimes once again rose to the forefront, despite apparently having run their course with the presidencies of
Prado in 1939 and Bustamante y Rivero in 1945; but in 1948 a new military government was formed by Manuel Odria.
Over the next eight years, major public works were built amidst severe political repression. Peru, which has made
major efforts to forge friendly relations with neigh-bor countries, has managed to overcome long-running border
conflicts. Navigation conditions along the Amazon River led to agreements with Brazil, until in 1909 the frontier between
the two nations was finally established. After lengthy debate, the border treaty with Colombia was approved by
Congress in 1927, and Colombians were granted an access route to the Amazon River. In 1929, after border disputes
with Chile resulting from armed conflict, the will to improve relations led both nations to sign a treaty whereby the city of
Tacna was returned to Peru. The border with Bolivia was marked by mutual accord in 1932. Finally, after several
armed conflicts and diplomatic controversies with Ecuador, Peru in 1999 managed to get the 1942 Rio Protocol to
prevail, closing the final chapter of the dispute over the territory within the Cordillera del Kondor mountain range,
shoring up Peru's relations with Ecuador. In 1968, the armed forces staged a coup d'etat and overthrew
then-President Fernando Belaunde. The first few years of the military regime stood out from other dictatorships in
Latin America in that Peru's military had socialist sympathies. Led by General Juan Velasco, the military regime
expanded the role of the State in a bid to solve the problems that had impoverished the country. Thus the State
nationalized the oil industry, the media and carried out an agrarian reform. Velasco was replaced by General
Francisco Morales-Bermudez, who bowed to public pressure and called for a Constituent Assembly. Belaunde was
re-elected in 1980, but the deep-lying poverty spurred the birth of two insurgencies which unleashed a wave of
violence for over a decade. After the government of Alan Garcia (1985-1990), Alberto Fujimori was elected president
in 1990, but shut down Congress in 1992 and decreed an emergency government. He was re-elected in 1995 and
2000, but public discontent forced him to call fresh elections for 2001. Valentin Paniagua was then chosen to head a
caretaker government. In July 2001, Dr. Alejandro Toledo Manrique took office as the Constitutional President of the
Republic of Peru.

AMEA * Andean Writers - Escritores Andinos * AMEA