Republic of Peru
South America
Andean · Ancient · Mystical
Peru (officially Republic of Peru) is a country located in South America. Its capital city is Lima, with other major cities including Arequipa and Trujillo. With a population of approximately 33.4M, the main languages spoken are Spanish, Quechua. The country covers an area of 1,285,216 km². The official currency is the Peruvian sol (S/ ). Traffic drives on the right side.
Machu Picchu was built without mortar — its precisely cut stones fit so tightly that a knife blade cannot slide between them.
Lima serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Peru, positioned in South America. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Lima's Historic Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains some of the finest Spanish colonial baroque architecture in the Americas, including the Cathedral built over an Inca palace — but the city is equally defined by its Pacific clifftop district of Miraflores, where paragliders launch over the ocean.
With a population of approximately 33.4M, Peru is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Spanish, Quechua, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Peru is reached via the dialling code +51. Peruvians maintain a dual cosmology in which Andean spiritual practices — offerings to Pachamama, divination with coca leaves — coexist with Catholicism in a syncretism refined over 500 years of negotiated belief.
Peru spans 1,285,216 km², in the South America subregion of Americas. Geographically centred around 10.0°S, 76.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Americas convention.
The official currency is the Peruvian sol (S/ ), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Peru's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC-05:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
The emblematic dish of Peru is Ceviche. Ceviche has been prepared on Peru's Pacific coast for at least 2,000 years, with pre-Inca peoples marinating fish in tumbo fruit juice — the Spanish later introduced lime — and today Lima's ceviché bars are considered serious culinary destinations, with the dish officially designated as cultural heritage by the Peruvian government.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Peru's national identity. Peru's greatest footballing moment remains Teófilo Cubillas at the 1970 and 1978 World Cups — his thunderous free-kicks against Scotland in 1978 made him one of the tournament's all-time top scorers and still carry the weight of a golden era the country has spent decades trying to recapture.
The highest point in Peru is Huascarán, rising to 6,768 metres above sea level. The Amazon Basin covers 60 percent of Peru's territory, and the Madre de Dios region contains some of the planet's highest documented biodiversity — Manu National Park alone holds more bird species than the entire continental United States.