Peru

Peru is situated on the western coast of South America, bordered by Ecuador and Columbia in the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the South. It is the 3th largest country on the continent, after Brazil and Argentina, and is the 20th largest country in the world. Renowned for the ancient Andean civilizations, such as the Incas, it is easily forgotten that Peru is home to many natural wonders also. A mountainous country; the rugged, snow-capped Andes mountain range covers approximately 40% of the land, whilst the rivers and jungles of the Peruvian Amazon in the east, and the rocky and arid narrow coastline in the west also warrant mention. Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America, can also be found here. To protect the landscape, the Peruvian government have designated a range of protected areas, comprising 10% of the total land mass. This includes seven national parks, eight national reserves, seven national sanctuaries, five reserved zones, six buffer forests, two hunting reserves and an assortment of communal reserves and national forests.

Capital city: Lima Highest Point: Nevado Huascaran (22,204ft / 6768m) Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean (0ft / 0m) Land Area: 494,209 sq. mi (1,279,996 sq. km) Water Area: 2015 sq. mi (5,220 sq. km) Total Area: 496,224 sq. mi (1,285,216 sq. km) Coastline: 1500 miles (2414 km) Bordering countries (5) Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador