Peru, (Spanish: or Republic of Peru, a country on the west coast of South America. It fronts on the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. Peru has an area of 496,224 square miles (1,285,216 km2), roughly twice that of Texas. It is the third largest country in South America; only Brazil and Argentina are larger. Maximum dimensions are about 1,100 miles (1,770 km) north-south and 800 miles (1,290 km) east-west.