Peru. Geography, description and characteristics of the country. Geography Geographical location of Peru briefly

Peru - officially the Republic of Peru - is a country in western South America. Its area is 6.5 times smaller than Brazil. The capital is Lima. The Peruvian territory was home to Norte Chico, a civilization one of the oldest in the world. Also here existed the Inca Empire - the largest state in America before Columbus. The Spanish Empire conquered the area in the 16th century and made it its colony. The country gained independence in 1821.

Peru today is a representative democratic republic, divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific Coast to the peaks of the Andes Mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a cost of living of approximately 40%. Its main areas of activity include agriculture, fishing, mining, and the production of products such as textiles.

The Peruvian population of 28 million (Nigeria, which is smaller than Peru, for example, has a population of 148 million), is multi-ethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has led to a wide variety of expressions in areas such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

Peru is one of the most visited countries in Latin America - the territory of this country contains the largest number of monuments of the ancient Inca Empire - Machu Picchu, Cusco and many others. Also in Peru there are monuments of such ancient cultures as Nazca (Nazca Lines, which are visible only from space), monuments of the Chavin and Quechua cultures. Machu Picchu is an ancient city lost in the Andes, one of the most important monuments of the Inca civilization. Thanks to its strategic location in the Andes, the city was not captured by the Spanish conquistadors, which saved the city from looting, and now it is a completely preserved and most important architectural monument of Peru.

On the coast of Peru, the climatic conditions are as follows: there is little precipitation here - about 200 mm per year in the north and 100 mm in the south, often in the form of garua (dense, humid fog that covers the entire city even in winter). Usually the reason for this is the warm El Niño current, which once every 7 years disrupts not only the weather in Peru, but also in other countries.

PERU, Republic of Peru (Republica del Peru), a state in western South America. The area of ​​Peru is 1285.2 thousand sq. km. The population of Peru is 25.6 million people (2000), about half are Quechua and Aymara Indians, the rest are Spanish-speaking Peruvians. The official languages ​​of Peru are Spanish and Quechua. Believers are mainly Catholics.

Administrative division of Peru: 25 departments. The capital of Peru is Lima. The head of state is the president. The legislative body of Peru is the Democratic Constituent Congress.

The narrow coastal lowlands have a dry climate. Three Andean mountain ranges stretch from north to south across the country - an area prone to earthquakes. In the west of Peru, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, there is a narrow strip of desert coastal plains (Costa). To the east is the Andes mountain belt (Sierra). In the east is the Amazonian lowland. (Selva), passing in the south into the foothill plain (Montagna). The Western Cordillera (height more than 6 thousand m) is replete with volcanoes: active ones - Solimana (6117 m), Misti (5821 m), etc.; extinct - Huascaran (6768 m), Coropuna (6425 m), Ausangate (6384 m), etc.

Intermountain plateaus and plateaus with a height of 3000-4000 m in the south form a large semi-desert plateau - Puna. Here in the south stands out the intermountain depression of the Altiplano with the high-mountain Lake Titicaca (Peru owns only the western part of the lake). Within the country, from west to east, three large natural areas are distinguished:

• 1) Costa - coastal desert
• 2) Sierra - Andean highlands
• 3) Selva - the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent plains of the Amazon basin.

The coastal desert - Costa, stretching in a narrow, indented strip along the entire Peruvian coast (2270 km), is the northern continuation of the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the north, between the cities of Piura and Chiclayo, the desert occupies a wide lowland, the surface of which is occupied mainly by mobile sand dunes. To the south, in the area from Chiclayo to Pisco, the steep slopes of the Andes approach the ocean itself. Near Pisco, several merging river fans form a narrow lowland of irregular shape, in places blocked by mountain spurs. Even further south, near the coast, a low mountain range rises, reaching approximately 900 m above sea level. To the east of it stretches a deeply dissected rocky surface, gradually rising towards the foot of the Andes.

Highlands of the Andes - Sierra. The Peruvian Andes, reaching 320 km in width, occupy more than a third of the country's area; their peaks reach a height of 5500 m above sea level. Numerous mountain ranges extend approximately from northwest to southeast. Ten peaks rise above 6100 m, and the highest of them, Huascaran, reaches 6768 m. In the southern part there are volcanoes, the most famous of which is the Misti cone (5822 m) towering above the city of Arequipa.

The eastern slopes of the Andes - Selva, on which heavy rainfall occurs, are dissected by deeply incised river valleys and form a chaotic pile of sharp ridges, alternating with canyons up to 3000 m deep; Several major tributaries of the Amazon River originate here. This area of ​​sharply and deeply dissected relief presents the greatest difficulties when crossing the Andes. Indians live here, using narrow strips of fertile land on the bottoms of river valleys and in the lower parts of the slopes for crops.

Peru is a country in South America. It borders in the northwest with Ecuador, in the north with Colombia, in the east with Brazil, in the southeast with Bolivia and Chile. In the west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean. Area - 1,285,220 sq. km. The total length of the border is 5536 km (the length of the borders with Bolivia is 900 km, with Brazil - 1560 km, with Chile - 160 km, with Colombia - 1496 km, with Ecuador - 1420 km). Coastline length: 2414 km.

Administrative division of Peru: 25 departments. The capital of Peru is Lima. The head of state is the president. The legislative body of Peru is the Democratic Constituent Congress.

According to natural conditions, Peru is divided into three zones: coastal (Costa) - 12% of the territory, mountainous (Sierra) - 27%, forested (Selva) - 61% of the territory. They are divided into regions: the northern part of Costa is formed by the Sechura Desert; the central and southern parts of a narrow arid ribbon (up to 80 km) stretch between the Coastal Cordillera and the ocean; The mountainous country begins with the Cordillera Condor.

Relief and minerals

A republic with mountainous terrain on the Pacific coast of South America. The narrow coastal lowlands have a dry climate. Three Andean mountain ranges stretch from north to south across the country - an area prone to earthquakes. In the west of Peru, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, there is a narrow strip of desert coastal plains (Costa). To the east is the Andes mountain belt (Sierra). In the east is the Amazonian lowland. (Selva), passing in the south into the foothill plain (Montagna).

The Western Cordillera (height more than 6 thousand m) is replete with volcanoes: active - Solimana (6117 m), Misti (5821 m), etc.; extinct - Huascaran (6768 m), Coropuna (6425 m), Ausangate (6384 m), etc.

Intermountain plateaus and plateaus 3000-4000 m high in the south form a large semi-desert plateau - Puna. Here in the south stands out the intermountain depression of the Altiplano with the high-mountain Lake Titicaca (Peru owns only the western part of the lake). In the northern part of Costa there are many short rivers flowing into the ocean (Piura, Santa, Tumbes, Chira). In Pune, the internal drainage basin of Lake Titika-ka is distinguished. Most of the Sierra and Selva rivers are part of the Amazon river system, its main source is the Maran-on River along with its tributaries Huallaga and Ucayali.

Within the country, from west to east, three large natural regions are distinguished: 1) Costa - the coastal desert, 2) Sierra - the Andean highlands and 3) Selva - the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent plains of the Amazon basin.

The coastal desert - Costa, stretching in a narrow, indented strip along the entire Peruvian coast (2270 km), is the northern continuation of the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the north, between the cities of Piura and Chiclayo, the desert occupies a wide lowland, the surface of which is occupied mainly by mobile sand dunes. To the south, in the area from Chiclayo to Pisco, the steep slopes of the Andes approach the ocean itself. Near Pisco, several merging river fans form a narrow lowland of irregular shape, in places blocked by mountain spurs. Even further south, near the coast, a low mountain range rises, reaching approximately 900 m above sea level. To the east of it stretches a deeply dissected rocky surface, gradually rising towards the foot of the Andes. Much of the Costa is so arid that of the 52 rivers that flow from the slopes of the Andes to the west, only 10 reach the ocean. The coast is the economically most important region of Peru. The area's 40 oases produce most of the country's most important agricultural crops, including those exported. There are also a number of main cities on the coast - Lima, Callao, Chiclayo and Trujillo.

Highlands of the Andes - Sierra. The Peruvian Andes, reaching 320 km in width, occupy more than a third of the country's area; their peaks reach a height of 5500 m above sea level. Numerous mountain ranges extend approximately from northwest to southeast. Ten peaks rise above 6100 m, and the highest of them, Huascaran, reaches 6768 m. In the southern part there are volcanoes, the most famous of which is the Misti cone (5822 m) towering above the city of Arequipa. The eastern slopes of the Andes, which receive heavy rainfall, are dissected by deeply incised river valleys and form a chaotic pile of sharp ridges, alternating with canyons up to 3000 m deep; Several major tributaries of the Amazon River originate here. This area of ​​sharply and deeply dissected relief presents the greatest difficulties when crossing the Andes. Indians live here, using narrow strips of fertile land on the bottoms of river valleys and in the lower parts of the slopes for crops. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, at 3812 m above sea level, there is the high-mountain Lake Titicaca; this largest of the high mountain lakes has an area of ​​8446 square meters. km, 59% of its water area is located in Peru.

The soils of the Costa and the western slopes of the Andes are infertile. In the mountainous region in the north and east, mountain-steppe soils predominate, in the southeast - typical for semi-deserts.

The Selva includes the lower eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent flat plains of the Amazon basin. This region occupies more than half of the country's total area. The plain is covered with dense and tall tropical rain forests, and the only means of communication here are the large rivers - the Ucayali, the upper reaches of the Amazon, which is called the Marañon, and the Napo. The main economic center of the area is Iquitos, located on the river. Amazon; this is the highest point that river steamers with a draft of more than 4 m can reach.

Peru has always stood out for its wealth of mineral resources, especially gold, silver, copper mines, reserves of iron ore, mercury, tungsten, and manganese. There are salt mines and coal deposits. Guano reserves are depleted.

Climate of Peru

The average temperature on the coast of Peru ranges from + 14°C to + 27°C, with precipitation falling up to 3000 mm per year, while the highlands or sierra are usually cool, sunny and dry for most of the year. The average temperature here varies from + 9°C to + 18°C. From December to May it is the rainy season in the Sierra, with precipitation falling from 700 to 1000 mm per year. It is hot and humid in the jungle, +25-28°C. Lima suffers from garua - a dense, humid fog that engulfs the entire city even in winter.

Coastal desert. The ocean coast is very dry and cool due to the cold Peruvian Current (Humboldt Current) passing nearby. Sea breezes maintain average temperatures 6°C below the latitude norm. In Lima it ranges from 16 to 23° C. Statistically, the annual precipitation rate here is 50 mm, but in some years there is no rain at all. In winter (from June to October) the sky is constantly overcast, and coastal fogs are frequent. At this time of year, the foothills of the Andes are shrouded in a humid haze, locally called “garua”. Garua stimulates the growth of low grasses and forb ephemerals, which together form a community called "loma" and used as pasture.

Andean highlands. Climatic conditions and vegetation cover of the mountains vary depending on the absolute altitude. Average temperatures decrease by about 1.7°C with a rise for every 450 m. Permanent snow and glaciers cover peaks above 5000 m above sea level, and agriculture is possible up to 4400 m above sea level. Average temperatures in Cusco (3380 m above sea level) range from 8 to 11 ° C over the years, and there are often frosts at night. On open eastern slopes, the annual precipitation rate exceeds 2500 mm; in closed basins it is much less, amounting, for example, to Cusco, 810 mm.

The amount of precipitation decreases rapidly towards the south, which greatly affects the nature of the vegetation. In the north and east of the country, the middle part of the Andean slopes is covered with dense subtropical montane forest, which with increasing altitude gradually gives way to a forest of a more temperate climate type, called ceja de la montaña ("eyebrow of the mountain"), or simply "ceja". Among its species, the most valuable is the cinchona tree, a source of quinine. In the south, the high-mountain vegetation is formed mainly by drought-resistant feather grass, short grass and the resinous shrub Lepidophyllum (this community is called “tola”). The bottom and lower parts of the slopes of dry closed valleys are occupied by cacti, spiny legumes and deciduous broad-leaved trees, while the upper part of the slopes is covered with “seja”.

Selva. In the tropical rainforest zone, temperatures are high all year round and there is heavy rainfall. In Iquitos, the average temperature of the coldest month is 23°C, and the hottest is only 26°C, with an annual precipitation of 2615 mm. Natural vegetation is represented by tall-stemmed tropical rainforest, under the canopy of which dense shade practically prevents the development of the ground layer. Of the thousands of tree species, acaju (mahogany) and cedrela are the most economically important. Grains grow in poorly drained areas, and tough grasses and low shrubs grow in loose sandy soils and rocky slopes.

Fauna of Peru

The fauna of Costa on land is scarce. Among the representatives of the animal world, the jaguar, puma, llama, monkeys, anteater, sloth, tapir, chinchilla, armadillo, crocodile, a large number of birds, snakes, lizards and insects live on the islands. The islands have an abundant world of seabirds and a rich aquatic kingdom (mollusks , shrimp, various types of fish, especially anchovies). In the Sierra there are representatives of the llama family - guanaco and vicuña, and many birds. Lake Titicaca abounds in fish (especially trout). In Selva there are peccaries, tapirs, anteaters, many monkeys, especially many birds (toucans, parrots, hummingbirds), reptiles and insects.

Selva has tropical fauna, including many species of birds, reptiles and mammals, while in the Andes the main animals are llamas, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos. Among the rodents of the highlands there are viscacha and chinchilla. In the cold waters of the coastal desert, abundant plankton provide food for many species of commercial fish, including tuna, bonito, swordfish, mackerel, croaker and rockfish. Millions of local birds feed on marine fish, including pelicans, cormorants and gannets. They nest on rocky islands, and their feces, which are well preserved in an arid climate, are used as fertilizer - the so-called. guano. The fragile ecological balance of coastal communities is periodically disrupted by the invasion of warm equatorial waters, pushing back the Peruvian Current. This phenomenon is called El Niño. It causes the migration of plankton and fish, resulting in many birds dying of starvation. At the same time, huge clouds form over the ocean, pouring heavy rains over the desert.

Population of Peru

Ethnicity and language. About a hundred Indian tribes live in the rain forests of eastern Peru. These tribes, practically isolated from the rest of the population, speak local dialects and earn their living by hunting, fishing and farming. Another indigenous group includes Indians who speak the Quechua and Aymara languages. Many of them moved to the capital, Lima, and other cities on the coast, especially after guerrilla warfare broke out in the mountains in 1980, but the majority continue to live in the Andes, farming and raising cattle. The rest of the population is made up of Creoles - white descendants of Europeans, mainly Spaniards, who practically dominated the country until the 1970s; mestizos are descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans and Indians, making up the bulk of the middle class, as well as a certain number of blacks and people from Asia.

Peru's population was estimated at 28.40 million in 2003. By 2003, the population was growing by an average of 1.61% annually. It is expected that by 2005 the population will be approximately 28,659 thousand people. The birth rate is estimated at 22.81 per 1000 inhabitants and the mortality rate at 5.69 deaths per 1000 inhabitants. The average life expectancy in Peru for men is 68.45 years and for women 73.43 years. The once largely rural country has rapidly urbanized, so that in 1997 more than 70% of its residents lived in cities. Approximately 60% of the population is concentrated in the coastal zone, which makes up only 11% of Peru's territory; This is where the main centers of the country's political and economic life are located. About 30% of Peruvians live in the mountains, 10% in the Amazonian Selva.

Peruvian cities are growing rapidly as migrants and refugees from the highlands settle on the outskirts of Lima and other centers. There they construct shelters, build houses and form so-called “young cities”. The largest city in Peru, Lima, the capital of the country and its administrative, financial and cultural center, has a population (according to 1997 estimates) of 5,659 thousand people. Large cities are also Arequipa (634 thousand people) in the south of the country; Trujillo (532 thousand), Callao (515 thousand), Chiclayo (426 thousand), Piura (324 thousand) and Chimbote (296 thousand) in the northern and central part of the coast; Cusco (275 thousand) in the south of the Andes mountain region; and Iquitos (269 thousand) on the upper Amazon (all of the above city population estimates, with the exception of Lima, are for 1993).

About 90% of the population formally belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, although the majority attends services only occasionally or does not perform rituals at all and is largely committed to traditional folk beliefs. Catholic clergy receive a small allowance from the state each year. In 1979, a concordat was signed between the Vatican and the Peruvian government, establishing the separation of church and state and proclaiming freedom of religion. Recently, the number of Protestants, evangelicals and Pentecostals has increased, but they make up no more than 6% of the population.

Coastal Desert – Costa, stretching in a narrow, indented strip along the entire Peruvian coast (2270 km), is the northern continuation of the Chilean Atacama Desert.
In the north, between the cities of Piura and Chiclayo, the desert occupies a wide lowland, the surface of which is occupied mainly by mobile sand dunes.

To the south, in the area from Chiclayo to Pisco, the steep slopes of the Andes approach the ocean itself. Near Pisco, several merging river fans form a narrow lowland of irregular shape, in places blocked by mountain spurs.

Even further south, near the coast, a low mountain range rises, reaching approximately 900 m above sea level. To the east of it stretches a deeply dissected rocky surface, gradually rising towards the foot of the Andes. Much of the Costa is so arid that of the 52 rivers that flow from the slopes of the Andes to the west, only 10 reach the ocean. The coast is the economically most important region of Peru. The area's 40 oases produce most of the country's most important agricultural crops, including those exported. There are also a number of main cities on the coast - Lima, Callao, Chiclayo and Trujillo.

Highlands of the Andes - Sierra. The Peruvian Andes, reaching 320 km in width, occupy more than a third of the country's area; their peaks reach a height of 5500 m above sea level. Numerous mountain ranges extend approximately from northwest to southeast.

Ten peaks rise above 6100 m, and the highest of them, Huascaran, reaches 6768 m. In the southern part there are volcanoes, the most famous of which is the Misti cone (5822 m) towering above the city of Arequipa. The eastern slopes of the Andes, which receive heavy rainfall, are dissected by deeply incised river valleys and form a chaotic pile of sharp ridges, alternating with canyons up to 3000 m deep; Several major tributaries of the Amazon River originate here. This area of ​​sharply and deeply dissected relief presents the greatest difficulties when crossing the Andes. Indians live here, using narrow strips of fertile land on the bottoms of river valleys and in the lower parts of the slopes for crops. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, at 3812 m above sea level, there is the high-mountain Lake Titicaca; this largest of the high mountain lakes has an area of ​​8446 square meters. km, 59% of its water area is located in Peru.

Selva includes the lower eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent flat plains of the Amazon basin. This region occupies more than half of the country's total area. The plain is covered with dense and tall tropical rain forests, and the only means of communication here are the large rivers - the Ucayali, the upper reaches of the Amazon, which is called the Marañon, and the Napo.
The main economic center of the area is Iquitos, located on the river. Amazon; this is the highest point that river steamers with a draft of more than 4 m can reach.