Peru’s Location in the World
Peru is on the continent of South America, south of the equator at 12.06S and 76.55W. The total land area is 1,280,000 km2, the total area including lakes and rivers is 1,285,220 km2. The coastline is about 2,414 k long. It is compared to Alaska since it is slightly smaller than it. It is exposed to earthquakes, landslides, and mild volcanoes.
Peru has three main land regions. There is the coast which is the flat desert along the Pacific Ocean, the Sierra which are a string of mountains called the Andes, and there is the selva or jungle where tropical weather and the Amazon River flows. The highest point in Peru is the Huascaran at 22,199 ft. The lowest point in Peru is the Amazon at lowland.
Menu of Peruvian Food
Peruvian food is like ours but with more courses. There is the appetizer, the main course, and the dessert. Here are some foods-
Appetizers-
- Papa Rellena which is stuffed potatoes,
- Ceviche which is raw fish, and
- Papa a la Huancaina which is boiled/sliced potatoes with creamy sauce.
Main Courses-
- Locro which is squash with potatoes,
- Pepian de Pavo which is blended corn with turkey,
- Polloala Brasa which is BBQ chicken with french fries, and
- Arroz con Pollo which is rice with chicken
Desserts-
- Mazamorra Morado which is purple pudding,and
- Arroz con Leche which is rice and milk pudding.
Beverages-
- Inca Cola which is a yellow-colored soda,
- Pina Colada which is pineapple ice tea, and
- Pisco Sour which is an Algarrobina liquor.
Biographical Sketches
The president of Peru is Alberto Fujimori. He was elected into office in the year 1990. He was elected because he set an uproar in the elections. As president, he inherited a nation experiencing severe economic crisis, facing a war with Ecuador, and a civil war of terrorism with the Shining Path. He also cut subsides and raised prices.
Another famous person in Peru was the ancient Don Jose De San Martin of Argentina who gave Peru its independence. He saved the Peruvians from being caught by the Spaniards.
Another famous person is Mario Vargas Llosa, he was a very famous writer who wrote scripts for Spanish soap operas. He was a professional and would have become president if Alberto Fujimori had not been born.
Famous Landmarks
Lima Cathedral
Nazca Paintings
They can only be seen by
airplane or helicopter.
Macchu Picchu
This landmark was the home of the ancient Incas,
a series of stone buildings and steps.
Government
The Inca civilization of what is now Peru was conquered by Spain in the early 16 century. The city of Lima was founded in 1535 and became the capitol of Peru 7 years later.
Between 1919 and 1930, Augusto B. Leguia instituted important reforms in education and social services. His tenure ended with a military takeover. While the military have always been a force in Peruvian politics, their principal opponent and the country’s largest political party for most of the 20th century has been the Alianza Popular Revolucionaria American (APRA), founded by Dr. Victor Raul Haya de la Torre in 1924 as a continent-wide anti-imperialist movement.
Elections, held in April 1990, developed into a two-way race between Mario Vargas Llosa, and Alberto Fujimori. Mr. Fujimori was the surprise winner by a landslide. He was reelected to a term of 5 more years in April 1995 with more than 65% of the votes.
Agriculture/ Industry
The main exports of Agriculture in Peru are potatoes, rice, wheat, oranges, and corn. Some underground foods are quinua, oca, oyuco, and yuca.
Their Industry includes cotton, fish, gold, silver, bronze, copper, metal, and aluminum. The Incas used gold and silver to make beautiful ornaments.
Religion/ Customs
Most of Peru’s population are Roman Catholic. People in Peru go to church every Sunday and go to Catholic schools during the week. They read a verse from the Bible every night before they go to bed.
An interesting custom people in Peru have annually are Marinera or Ritmo Afro- Peruviano dances. Thousands of people flock to these events. In these events, the judges pick a queen and a king.
Recipes
Graphs Maps
Bibliography
- American Heritage Dictionary
- Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
- Kingfisher Young People Atlas
- Peru- A Return to Paradise
- Explorama Lodges ( brochures)
- www.lonelyplanet.com
- www.Almanac .com