Peru, is the third largest country in South America. Only Brazil and Argentina cover a greater area. The country lies in western South America along the Pacific Ocean. The long, narrow coast consists of a desert even drier than the Sahara. Most of Peru's large cities lie in this region, including the Lima, the capital and largest city. The towering, snow-capped Andes Mountains rise east of the coast and extend north and south down the entire length of the country. Thick rain forests and jungles cover most of the hot, humid region east of the Andes. Peru has three main land regions. They are, from west to east: (1) the coast, along the Pacific Ocean; (2) the highlands, the highest parts of the Peruvian Andes; and (3) the selva, a region of forests and jungles. Earthquakes occur frequently in Peru.

The ancestors of Peru's Indians include the famous Inca Indians, who built a great empire in Peru from the 1200's to the 1500's. The first white people reached the country in the 1520's, led by the Spanish adventurer Francisco Pizarro. They conquered the Inca in the 1530's and made Peru a Spanish colony. Peru declared its independence from Spain in 1821.

Spanish became Peru's official language soon after the Spanish conquest and remained the only official language for several hundred years. In 1975, the Preuvian government made Quechua, the language of the Inca, an official language along with Spanish. Most Peruvians fifteen years of age or old can read and write, The great majority of those who cannot read or write live in rural areas, and most are Indians. Most educated Peruvians live in the cities, which have by far the greatest number of schools. About 95 percent of all the people of Peru are Roman Catholics. The Peruvian government grants freedom of worship to all religious groups, but it officially favors the Roman Catholic religion. The Catholic religion is taught in public schools throughout the country. Other religious groups in Peru include Protestants, Jews, and Buddhists.

* Taken from The World Book Encyclopedia. (Chicago: World Book, Inc.), pg 306-316.