
Location of Perú: it is located in the central and western part of South America.
Bordering the Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador.
Area: 1’285,216 square kilometers.
Limits: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.
Perú is divided into 25 regions: Amazonas, Arequipa, Ancash, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Cusco, Cajamarca, Callao, Huanuco, Huancavelica, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Puno, Piura, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes and Ucayali.
Natural Characteristics: it has three natural regions, according to the shape and relief of the country: coast, mountains and jungle.
Coast
The coastal region, predominantly desert, contains many of Peru’s major cities and attractions including Lima (the capital of Peru), Pisco, Trujillo, Paracas, the Nazca lines, and the famous Pan-American Highway (Carretera Panamericana). Bird and marine life is abundant in this region; you can find colonies of sea lions sunbathing, Peruvian pelicans looking for fresh fish, Chilean flamingos, Humboldt penguins, Inca Terns, and the Brown Booby.
The Andes
The Andean mountains in Peru can be divided into two regions: the Cordillera oriental and the Cordillera occidental.
The highest mountain in Peru is called Huascarán, with an elevation of 6,768 meters (22,205 ft.). Cusco, the historical capital of the Inca Empire is also located in the Andean highland, as well as Peru’s most famous attraction, Machu Picchu.
The Andes are home to camelids such as the llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuña in the highlands, as well as jaguars, spectacled bears and tapirs on the eastern slopes.
You can also find a variety of birds including the Puba Ibis, hummingbirds and the Andean condor soaring above Cordillera blanca and
huayhuash.
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon covers more than 60% of Peru and reaches between 80 meters (263 ft.) and 3,800 meters (12,467 ft.) above sea level.
This region contains many rivers, including the Marañón, Ucayali and Urubamba. The Amazon in Peru is one of the most diverse areas in the world, and home to an amazingly big variety of birds, monkeys, turtles, jaguars, fish, caiman, frogs and many other animals.
Climate
With three different natural regions, the desert coast, the Andes and the jungle, the climate of Peru is very diverse, with a large variety of microclimates, including 28 of the 32 world climates. Being a tropical country, the general climate is mild, with little variation between winter and summer.