Peru

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Costa
  - The Sierra, or Andean, region
  - Amazonia
- Lakes and rivers
- Soils
- Climate
  - Coastal desert
  - Mountain climates
  - Tropical forest climates
  - El Niño
- Plant and animal life
  - The Costa
  - The Sierra
  - Amazonia
The people
- Pre-Hispanic groups
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Pre-Hispanic patterns
  - Colonial patterns
  - Twentieth-century migrations
  - Urban Peru
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services, labor, and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Folk culture
  - Fine arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- The Incas
- Discovery and exploration by Europeans
- Colonial period
- Achievement of independence
- Peru from 1824 to 1884
  - Struggle for power
  - Establishment of order
  - The War of the Pacific (1879–83)
- Peru from 1884 to 1930
  - Social reforms and economic development
  - Formation of the Aprista movement
- Peru from 1930 to 1968
  - Troubled democracy
  - The dictatorship of Manuel Odría
  - Return to elected government
- Military rule (1968–80)
  - Economic nationalism
  - The second junta
- Return to civilian rule
  - The second Fernando Belaúnde presidency (1980–85) and the rise of Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
  - The first Alan García Pérez presidency (1985–90)
  - The rule, misrule, and flight of Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000)
  - The Alejandro Toledo presidency (2001–06) and the extradition and imprisonment of Alberto Fujimori
  - The second Alan García Pérez presidency (2006–11)
  - The Ollanta Humala presidency (2011–16)
  - The rise of Keiko Fujimori, the Pedro Pablo Kuczynski presidency (2016–18), and the Odebrecht scandal
  - The short presidencies of Martín Vizcarra (2018–20), Manuel Merino (2020), and Francisco Sagasti (2020–21) and the COVID-19 pandemic
  - The Pedro Castillo presidency (2021–22)
  - The Dina Boluarte presidency (2022–25)
  - José Jerí (July 2025–February 2026)
  - José María Balcázar (February 2026– )

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Flag of Peru with three vertical stripes, red on each side and white in the center, and a central coat of arms featuring a vicuña, cinchona tree, and cornucopia.

Map of South America highlighting Peru in tan, with surrounding countries labeled and the capital city Lima marked by a star. The map shows Peru's location on the continent's western coast, bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile.

Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Lima

Political map of Peru showing its national boundaries with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile, as well as the Pacific Ocean coastline. The map details major cities, regional divisions, and rivers across the country, with a small locator map highlighting Peru's position in South America.

A llama stands on a grassy slope with the ancient stone ruins and steep mountains of Machu Picchu, Peru in the background.

Map of Peru highlighting major physical features such as the Andes mountains, Amazon River, national parks, and Lake Titicaca. Neighboring countries Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile are shown, along with the Pacific Ocean to the west. An inset locator map marks Peru's position in South America.

Colca valley, Chivay, Peru

Misti Volcano, Peru

Explore the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru

At a Glance

default image

Peru: Media

country, South America

Videos

Explore the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru

Explore the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru

Learn about the Altiplano region of Bolivia and Peru by viewing its vast plains,...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Visit an Aymara Community on Lake Titicaca

Visit an Aymara Community on Lake Titicaca

Learn about the Aymara people who live on islands in Lake Titicaca on the border...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Follow Alpaca Shearing and Wool Processing and Weaving in the Andes

Follow Alpaca Shearing and Wool Processing and Weaving in the Andes

Learn how alpacas (Vicugna pacos) are raised in the Andes Mountains of Peru...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Flag of Peru with three vertical stripes, red on each side and white in the center, and a central coat of arms featuring a vicuña, cinchona tree, and cornucopia.

Peru

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of South America highlighting Peru in tan, with surrounding countries labeled and the capital city Lima marked by a star. The map shows Peru's location on the continent's western coast, bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile.

Peru

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Lima

Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Lima

Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Lima.

Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images

Political map of Peru showing its national boundaries with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile, as well as the Pacific Ocean coastline. The map details major cities, regional divisions, and rivers across the country, with a small locator map highlighting Peru's position in South America.

Peru

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A llama stands on a grassy slope with the ancient stone ruins and steep mountains of Machu Picchu, Peru in the background.

Machu Picchu, Peru

A llama standing in front of the ruins of Machu Picchu, a 15th-century Inca citadel...

© pcalapre/stock.adobe.com

Map of Peru highlighting major physical features such as the Andes mountains, Amazon River, national parks, and Lake Titicaca. Neighboring countries Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile are shown, along with the Pacific Ocean to the west. An inset locator map marks Peru's position in South America.

Physical features of Peru

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colca valley, Chivay, Peru

Colca valley, Chivay, Peru

Colca valley, Chivay, Peru.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Misti Volcano, Peru

Misti Volcano, Peru

A cloud rising above Misti Volcano, a dormant stratovolcano that is part of the Andean...

AdstockRF

Terraced fields, Sierra region, Peru

Terraced fields, Sierra region, Peru

Terraced fields near Arequipa, in the southern Sierra region of Peru.

Chip and Rosa Maria de la Cueva Peterson

Brown capuchins in Manú National Park, Peru

Brown capuchins in Manú National Park, Peru

A group of brown capuchins in Manú National Park, a protected area in southeastern...

© Vaclav Sebek/Dreamstime.com

Macaws in Manú National Park, Peru

Macaws in Manú National Park, Peru

Scarlet and red-and-green macaws fly over Manú National Park in southeastern Peru,...

© Miguel/stock.adobe.com

Quechua women in traditional dress, Peru

Quechua women in traditional dress, Peru

Quechua women in the Sacred Valley, where Indigenous communities maintain long-standing...

© Sl Photography/Dreamstime.com

Map of South America highlighting in purple the regions where Quechuan languages are spoken, primarily along the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and smaller areas in Colombia, Chile, and northern Argentina.

Map of Quechuan language distribution

Quechuan languages are widely spoken in Peru, particularly in the Andean highlands,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Refugio Mariscal

Cathedral of Cusco, Peru

Cathedral of Cusco, Peru

Overlooking the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral of Cusco stands as a major symbol of...

© Skrypko Ievgen/Dreamstime.com

“Study for Lima's Main Square”

“Study for Lima's Main Square”

Artwork by Johann Moritz Rugendas depicting daily life around Lima's main square,...

Universal History Archive/Shutterstock.com

Modern Lima skyline at night

Modern Lima skyline at night

High-rise buildings illuminating the skyline of Lima, Peru's capital and largest...

© Christian Vinces Cabada/Dreamstime.com

Panoramic view of Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru, with the Cathedral on the left and the Compania church on the right, surrounded by gardens and people walking.

Cuzco, Peru

Plaza de Armas with the cathedral (left) and the church of the Compañía de Jesús...

Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images

Massive stone walls of the Sacsahuaman ruins near Cuzco, Peru, show interlocking blocks on grassy terraces with mountains in the background.

Sacsahuamán ruins, Peru

Sacsahuamán ruins, near Cuzco, Peru.

© Hoang Bao Nguyen/Dreamstime.com

Pucallpa, on the Ucayali River, Peru

Pucallpa, on the Ucayali River, Peru

Pucallpa, on the Ucayali River in Peru.

Reflejo/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Woman practicing traditional weaving

Woman practicing traditional weaving

Residents of Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca maintain long-standing Quechua-speaking...

© hadynyah—E+/Getty Images

Fishermen in yellow rain gear working on a boat to haul in anchovies as seagulls fly around them.

Peru

Fishermen haul in a large catch of anchovies off the coast of Peru.

Robert Harding Picture Library

Farmland in the Andean region of Peru

Farmland in the Andean region of Peru

Farmland stretching across the Andean region near Cuzco, Peru. The mountains of the...

© Robert Frerck/Stone

Andes Mountains: transportation

Andes Mountains: transportation

Mother and child boarding a train from Lima to Huancayo in the Andes Mountains, Peru.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Lima: homes

Lima: homes

Colorful homes on a hillside in Lima, Peru.

Photos.com/Jupiterimages

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru.

© Adalberto Rios Szalay/Sexto Sol—Photodisc/Getty Images

Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru

Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru

Sacred Valley of the Incas (Urubamba River valley), near Cuzco, Peru.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

archaeologists in Peru

archaeologists in Peru

A team of archaeologists clean an excavated zone some 20 miles (30 km) south of Lima.

Martin Mejia/AP Images

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, statue in Machupicchu, Peru.

José Porras

Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro.

Gianni Dagli Orti/Shutterstock.com

Map of the Americas in 1780 showing the Spanish and Portuguese viceroyalties. Spanish territories are shaded in green, including the Viceroyalty of New Spain, Viceroyalty of Peru, Viceroyalty of New Granada, and Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. Portuguese territory, labeled as the Viceroyalty of Brazil, is shaded in purple. Borders between Spanish and Portuguese lands are marked, with amendments from 1750 and 1778 indicated. British territory is shown in the northern part of North America. Ma

Spanish viceroyalties and Portuguese territories in the Americas, 1780

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Engraved portrait of Ramon Castilla with a prominent mustache and formal attire, his name printed in the lower right corner.

Ramón Castilla

Ramón Castilla.

© GeorgiosArt—iStock/Getty Images

Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo

Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo

Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo, 1925.

Curtesy of the Organization of American States

Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa smiling, shown in a close-up portrait with gray hair, wearing a suit and tie.

Mario Vargas Llosa

Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010.

© Mario Tama—Getty Images

Ollanta Humala, president of Peru

Ollanta Humala, president of Peru

President of Peru from 2011 to 2016, Ollanta Humala presided over continued economic...

Pdn/Sipa/Shutterstock.com

President of Peru Pablo Kuczynski Godard speaks at the podium with the United Nations emblem during the General Assembly's 71st session.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, 2016.

Cia Pak/UN Photo

Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, speaks emphatically at a press conference in Lima, seated in front of Peruvian flags with a microphone and glass of water on the table.

Dina Boluarte

Peru's first female president (2022–25), whose administration faced nationwide protests,...

Cris Bouroncle—AFP/Getty Images

Aerial view of the yellow Catedral de Santa Maria with twin towers facing the main square in Chiclayo, Peru, surrounded by city buildings, streets, and people in the plaza.

Chiclayo, Peru

Aerial view over the Catedral de Santa Maria (Cathedral of Saint Mary) and the main...

© christian vinces/stock.adobe.com

Stone ruins of Machu Picchu with terraced slopes and ancient structures, set against a backdrop of steep green mountains in the Andes of Peru.

Machu Picchu, Peru.

© Ridam/stock.adobe.com

Misti Volcano, Peru

Misti Volcano, Peru

Misti Volcano, near Arequipa, Peru.

Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images

Two diagrams compare coastal upwelling during normal conditions and an El Nino event. The top shows strong upwelling with nutrient-rich water and high plankton near the coast, while the bottom shows weak upwelling, a thicker nutrient-poor surface layer, and reduced plankton during El Nino.

Figure 6: The upwelling process along the...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru

Peru

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of coastal Peru showing the epicenter and affected region of the 1970 Ancash earthquake. The epicenter is marked off the coast near Chimbote, with shaded areas indicating the extent of damage inland. The map also displays fault lines, the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates, and major towns in the affected zone. Inset provides earthquake details: magnitude 7.9, depth 13 km, and date May 31, 1970.

Ancash earthquake of 1970

Map of west-central Peru depicting the epicentre of the May 31, 1970, Ancash earthquake...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

Audio

National anthem of Peru

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Peru.

Interactives

Peru: Ethnic composition

Peru: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru: Religious affiliation

Peru: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru: Urban-rural

Peru: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru: Age breakdown

Peru: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru: Major export destinations

Peru: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Peru: Major import sources

Peru: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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