Geography of Peru

Introduction to Geography of Peru

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.

Physical Geography

Peru divides into three major regions: the Costa, Sierra, and Montaña.

The Costa is a relatively narrow strip of desert along the coast. It is widest in the north, where much of the land consists of shifting sand and dunes. Elsewhere the Costa is generally a mere ribbon of barren land, with broader areas at river deltas, many of which are agricultural oases. The strip is not continuous; in some areas the mountains extend to the sea. Lima, the nation's capital, and many of Peru's largest cities are located in this region, on rivers from the Sierra.

The Sierra is a broad highland region, east of the Costa. It consists of rugged Andes mountain ranges, lofty volcanoes, plateaus cut by deep canyons, and a number of intermontane basins. Peru's highest peak, Huascarán, is a snowcapped volcano rising 22,205 feet (6,768 m) above sea level.

The Montaña, east of the Sierra, is a heavily forested lowland region that takes up more than half of Peru's area. Most of the Montaña lies in the Amazon Basin and is still unsettled, mainly because of its remote location and dense tropical jungle.

The large rivers of Peru begin in the Andes and flow through the Montaña; all are part of the Amazon system. Among them are the Ucayali and Marañón, the two chief headstreams of the Amazon, and the Putamayo, Napo, Pastaza, Huallaga, Apurímac, Urubamba, and Madre de Dios. The Amazon proper begins just above the city of Iquitos. A number of rivers, all of them short, drain from the Andes to the Pacific. Most of them dry up during part of the year, but their waters are extremely important for irrigation along the coast.

Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater lake in South America, lies in the Sierra, partly in Peru and partly in Bolivia. It occupies part of a high plateau region called the Altiplano and is about 12,500 feet (3,810 m) above sea level.

. Although Peru lies just south of the Equator, much of the country does not have a tropical climate. Along the coast, the temperatures are mild and there is little rainfall, mainly because of the influence of the cold Peru (Humboldt) Current offshore. Lima, for example, averages 73° F. (23° C.) in January and 61° F. (16° C.) in July and normally receives only about two inches (50 mm) of rain each year.

Except for humid eastern slopes, the Sierra is a relatively dry region. Temperatures range from temperate to frigid, depending on elevation. Only in the Montaña is there a humid tropical climate. Here rainfall is heavy, and temperatures are usually high throughout the year.

Economy

Throughout most of its history Peru's economy was based on agriculture and mining. Economic growth was constant from the end of World War II until the mid-1960's. Since then, however, the economy has undergone a marked decline. Long-standing problems include high rates of inflation and unemployment, an enormous foreign debt, political instability, and widespread poverty.

During the 1970's agriculture and mining were replaced by services, especially wholesale and retail trade, as mainstays of the economy. Services account for about 40 per cent of the country's gross domestic product and more than 50 per cent of the workforce.

Peru's basic currency unit is the nuevo sol.

About 35 per cent of the people are engaged in agriculture. Subsistence farming predominates throughout the Sierra and in parts of the Montaña. Potatoes, cassava, hardy grains, fruits, and vegetables are among the crops grown. Sheep, Hamas, alpacas, and other livestock are raised.

Large-scale commercial farming is concentrated on irrigated land at river deltas and valleys along the coast. Sugarcane, cotton, and coffee are among the chief crops. Coca, used in producing illegal drugs, is widely grown on the eastern slopes of the Andes, especially in the upper Huallaga Valley.

Peru's manufacturing industries have expanded considerably since the 1950's. Factories producing consumer goods, such as processed foods, wool and cotton textiles, clothing, leather goods, furniture, appliances, glassware, and paint, are the most numerous. Iron and steel are produced in Chimbote; other industrial activities include shipbuilding (mainly fishing boats); petroleum refining; automobile assembly; and the making of chemicals. The Lima-Callao area is Peru's leading industrial center. Other major industrial centers include Arequipa and Trujillo.

Peru has been noted for its mineral wealth since the 16th century and continues to be a major mining nation. Minerals account for about half the country's exports in terms of value. A variety of minerals are produced, including copper, lead, zinc, petroleum, silver, molybdenum, and iron ore. Petroleum is produced in the northern coastal region, offshore, and in the jungles of the Montaña; nearly all the other minerals are produced in the Sierra.

Peru is normally one of the world's leading fishing nations. The country is a major producer of anchovetas (small anchovies), which are processed into fishmeal. The nutrient-rich waters of the Peru Current, which sweeps along the country's coast, are teeming with fish. However, periodically a phenomenon known as El Niño, which displaces the Peru Current, greatly reduces the catch.

The Pan American Highway, which runs along the coast from Ecuador to Chile, with a branch to Bolivia, forms the backbone of the road system. Numerous roads extend eastward from the coast into the Andes; few cross into the Montaña. There are few railways, and they serve relatively small areas.

Local airlines link many cities and provide practically the only contact with many remote areas. Lima's airport, which is served by domestic and foreign airlines, is the largest and busiest in the nation.

Government

Peru's executive power is vested in a president, who is elected to a five-year term by the people and is eligible to run for a successive term in office. Two vice presidents are also elected. There is also an appointed council of ministers. Peru has a one-house legislature whose members are elected to five-year terms. The judiciary is headed by a supreme court and includes a constitutional court and districts courts.