The Republic of Peru
The name Peru is derived from a Quechua word implying land of abundance, a reference to the economic wealth produced by the rich and highly organized Inca civilization that ruled the region for centuries.
The Republic of Peru is a country located in South America with mountains, deserts, rainforests, and beaches (Pacific Ocean), where the capital is Lima. The people of Peru are a diverse mix of different cultures, including the Incas, Spaniards, descendants of Africans, Asians, and many others.
The large biologically diverse area of the Amazon in Peru is home to the most bird species in the world, the third-largest number of mammals, and a very high number of species of butterflies and orchids.
Peru is essentially a tropical country, with its northern tip nearly touching the Equator. Despite its tropical location, a great diversity of climates, ways of life, and economic activities is brought about by the extremes of elevation and by the southwest winds that sweep in across the cold Peru Current (or Humboldt Current), which flows along its Pacific shoreline. The immense difficulties of travel posed by the Andes have long impeded national unity.
The massive 20th-century migration from the countryside brought rapid growth to Peruvian urban centers. Lima became the urban giant, much larger than the next-largest city, but other cities, particularly Trujillo and Chimbote in the north and Arequipa in the south, have also grown rapidly.
Peru celebrates its independence from the Spanish empire on July 28th of every year.
