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Peru
Republic of Peru
Republica del Peru
Things to Know
Capital: Lima
Located in western South America.
The third largest country in South America.
Map
of Peru
Peru Flag
Symbols of Peru
Spanish (official), Quechua (official).
Hear phrases in Quechua.
Currency: Nuevo Sol
Animals
Peru Animals range from jaguars, llamas, to the Inca Hairless dog. There are desert animals along the coast, a variety of fish in the ocean, in the sierra (mountains) are found the llama, alpaca, and a variety of animals.
Climate
The climate of Peru varies widely, ranging from tropical to arctic in the highest mountains of the Andes.
Explorers
Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who traveled through much of the Pacific coast of America along Peru.
Alexander von Humboldt (1769- 1859)
Founder of modern geography.
Land
Peru has three geographic areas that run roughly parallel to each other: the Coastal Desert, the Mountains (Andes) and the Jungle. The dry coast rises quickly to the Andes mountain range and then drops to the rain forest containing the headwaters of the Amazon River.
The coastal region of Peru is its most densely settled area. Some parts are fertile but most of La Costa consists of dry and sometimes extremely arid desert regions.
The Andes range, together with its foothills, forms the part of Peru that is called La Sierra. Some of the worlds highest mountains can be found here, such as the Huascaran and the Yerupaja . In the southern mountains of Peru lies the mysterious lost Inca city Machu Picchu.
Satellite image of El Misti Volcano, Arequipa Area, Peru
The rain forest region is in the eastern part of Peru. The Amazon river finds its roots in Peru, at the point of two big rivers, the Marañon and the Ucayali. Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the Americas. The Colca Canyon is twice as deep, making it the deepest canyon on earth.
Mummies
National Geographic Inca Mummies
PBS Ice Mummies
Stories
"The Little Frog in the Stream"
is a folk tale from Peru. Themes: kindness and helpfulness.
Collecting Firewood: A short Story from My Childhood
Games
Clues From The Past
Become an explorer and dig into archaeology.
Brainteaser: Inca
Prove what you know about the Inca civilization.
Music
National Geographic Music-Peru
Dances with avi clips.
Ancient People
Daily Life in the Inca Empire
Fun
Facts
Peru Time
What time is it in Peru?
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