The country of Peru attracts tourists primarily with its historical heritage - mysterious monuments, temples and observatories of ancient civilizations. Peru also boasts a variety of unique flora and fauna in its vastness.
Official data about Peru
The Republic of Peru is located in the west of South America. Its territory is 1285 thousand square kilometers, the number of the population living in the country is about 30 million people (as of the end of 2012). These are mainly Quechua, Aymara and Hispanic Peruvians. The capital of Peru is Lima. The official state languages are Spanish and Quechua. The bulk of the population is of the Catholic faith. The head of the republic is the president.
Peru belongs to the category of agrarian countries, but the mining and manufacturing industries are well developed in it. There are many minerals in the country, the lion's share of which is gold, oil, copper, iron ore.
History of the Peruvian state
In ancient times, on the site of Peru, there was a powerful state of the Incas, about which there are still many legends. Some monuments of that distant era, mysterious structures, the perfection of the lines of which haunt historians and archaeologists today, have survived to this day.
In 1532, the Spaniards landed in Peru, led by Francisco Pizarro. The Incas were unable to defend their territory, many of them died from infections brought by the conquerors. In 1543, Peru became the center of Spanish rule in South America, and the city of Lima, founded 8 years earlier, became the capital.
The country gained independence only in 1821. Since then, the history of Peru has been entirely composed of wars, revolutions, uprisings and military coups. The last shock came in 2001 when President Fujimori's regime was overthrown. Since 2011, the country has been led by Ollanta Humala.
Peru landmarks
The Republic of Peru attracts tourists from different countries with its ancient culture, unique and distinctive history, magnificent landscape and mild climate.
The oldest religious center is the valley of the pyramids of Tukume. All pyramids are built of mud bricks. It is believed that the construction of the pyramids dates back to 700-800 AD. The largest pyramid is 700 meters long, 30 meters high and 280 meters wide. The Pyramids of Tukume are a pilgrimage site where Native American priests conducted astronomical research.
The deepest canyon in the world is Colca Canyon. The depth of the canyon is about four thousand meters. It is located in a picturesque valley. It houses an observation deck called the Cross of the Condor, from where you can watch the flight of this magnificent bird.
A system consisting of several dozen drawings that are depicted on the Nazca plateau - the Nazca lines. Among them are images of birds, spiders, scorpions, monkeys, as well as various geometric shapes. There is a hypothesis that the ancients turned to the gods with these drawings.
The ancient city of the Incas - Machu Picchu, which, due to its high altitude (2450 meters), is otherwise called the city in the sky.
