Peru ranks amongst the world's great centers of ancient civilization. Their remains fascinate travelers and archaeologists alike. Peru is located in the west central part of South America and is a country of geographical and cultural contrast. Peru is the 19th largest country in the world and is bordered north by Ecuador, to the south by Chile and Bolivia, to the east by Colombia and Brazil and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a diverse country due to the climatic, natural and cultural variation of its regions, which include coast, highland (sierra) and jungle.
Peru is populated by over 27 million people, largely descendents of Spanish settlers and native Inca and pre-Inca cultures. Today there are three national languages: Spanish, and the native Quechua and Aymara, reflecting the native Indian and Spanish roots that cultivate modern Peruvian society..
Peru's outstanding variety of climates and eco-systems places the country amongst the world's top eight nations in terms of biodiversity, where of the 104 life zones that exist on the planet, Peru is home to 84. With more than 400 species of mammals, 300 species of reptiles, 1,700 species of birds and more than 50,000 plants registered to date, Peru is a remarkable destination for all who are interested in the natural world.
In addition to Peru's staggering biodiversity, visitors can spend weeks touring the fascinating coastal deserts that extend along the whole of the west coast, or visit numerous colonial cities home to a wonderful display of colonial architecture. Adventure-lovers will also find Peru, with the Andes running across the entire length of the country, ideal for trekking, camping and mountain climbing. The highlands are riddled with more than 15,000 lakes, snow-capped peaks soaring over 6,000 meters, the world's deepest canyons and picturesque villages. The entire Andean chain offers unparalleled opportunities for white-water rafting along with superb trails for mountain biking. The beaches of Paracas (south of Lima) and along the north coast (Huanchaco, Máncora, Punta Sal) are ideal for surfing, windsurfing, sand boarding, fishing and scuba diving. There are also superb opportunities for fishing in the Amazon.
With more than 50 protected natural areas along the coastline, Andean foothills, wetlands, Amazonian forest and tropical highlands, including Paracas, Manu, Tambopata-Candamo, Pacaya-Samiria and Pampa Galeras, a vast array of eco-systems are a haven for dozens of species on the verge of extinction. Peru will also lead visitors into a world of art and culture with a legacy of numerous pre-hispanic civilisations such as the Quechua, Aymara, Mochica and Nazca cultures, whose views of the world were based on their observation of both the heavens and nature. Over the course of centuries, Peru has also incorporated cultural influences from European, particularly Spanish along with African and Asian migrants.
A diverse nation featuring many cultures, Peru with its historical, archaeological and architectural legacies, is also famous for more than 1,500 musical genres, combining instruments from the outside world with native Andean equivalents, such as the quena and zampoña flutes. All of which provide the accompanying music to more than 3,000 festivals such as the Candelaria, Inti Raymi, Carnivals, Corpus Christi and Easter Week. Not forgoing the table, Peru boasts one of the most exquisite and varied cuisines on Earth, as local chefs have succeeded in adapting a diverse variety of native ingredients while remaining open to outside influence. Peru's cooking is an invitation to discover exotic flavours and fragrant aromas, which are as authentic as they are ancient, from Pacha Manca prepared today just as it was hundreds of years ago to cuy, the guinea pig that has been a domesticated food source for over 10,000 years.
The first Pan-Andean civilisation of Chavín (1500-400 BC), with numerous stone temples riddled with labyrinthine galleries at altitudes over 3,100m to the mysterious mud-brick citadels and pyramids built near the sea by the Mochica dynasty (200 BC-700 AD); to the royal tombs of the Lord of Sipan, laden with hoardes of golden treasure, have all contributed to the most important archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century. Following in the footsteps of the fierce Chachapoyas warriors (1000-1400 AC) along their 25-metre-high ramparts in the Kuelap fortress in Amazonas or strolling around Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire (1300-1500 AC), visitors are faced with an incredible choice of the most significant cultural legacies in South America. As the Incas were the greatest pre-Colombian civilisation in South America, Cuzco and its environs feature colossal constructions such as the Machu Picchu citadel, hailed as the eighth wonder of the world.
There are few countries on Earth that can match Peru in offering such a variety of significant cultural and ethnic backgrounds to one of the most diverse and complex geographies on Earth. This characteristic gave rise in Peru to some of the world's greatest ancient civilizations, and is what makes Peru today a fascinating country for visitors from around the world.
| 
