Travel Information
ABOUT PERU
General information
Peru is located in the central and western part of South America, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, with approximately 30 million people, covering 1.285.215,60 square kilometers and is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina.
The country is politically organized in 24 regions excluding the Constitutional Province of Callao, and geographically divided into 3 main regions (coast, highlands and jungle).
Lima, Peru's capital is the first city in the country, followed by Arequipa, given their demographic and economic importance. It has two official languages: Spanish and Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire. You may also speak English Tourist influx in places.
The Andes mountain range runs through its territory from south to north, parallel to the coast forming the Sierra region.
The highest peak of Peru is Huascaran (6.768 meters), located in the Cordillera Blanca, the main and the highest branch of the Western Cordillera of the Andes, an ideal place to practice various sports adventure.
Weather in Peru
COAST: the temperature can reach 28° C during the summer (December to April), the rest of the year the temperature can drop to 14° C with 90% humidity.
HIGHLANDS: from December to April rainfall occur, with temperatures ranging between 20-5° C, and from May to November there are sunny days with nights of intense cold. This is the best season for visits to the various tourist attractions of the highlands of Peru.
JUNGLE: climate is tropical jungle that is warm, humid and rainy, the annual temperature exceeds 30° C.
Government
Peru is a democratic republic. The President and members of Congress are elected every five years by universal suffrage. The current constitutional president of Peru is Ollanta Humala Tasso (2011-2016).
Population
- 30,135,000 inhabitants.
- Urban: 75.9%
- Rural: 24.1%
Peru is a country of mixed. Throughout its history, Peru has been the meeting point of different races and cultures. The indigenous population was joined 500 years ago by the Spaniards.
Result of this encounter, and later enriched by the migration of Africans, Asians and Europeans, Peruvian man emerged as the representative of a nation whose rich ethnic mix is one of its most important features.
Religion
- Catholics: 89.03%
- Evangelical: 6.73%
- Other Religions: 2.56%
- None Religion: 1.65%
Peru is a naturally religious country: a diversity of beliefs and freedom of worship are manifested in a variety of festivals and rituals that feature both Catholic fervor of the Spanish heritage, and the mysticism of the ancient pre-Hispanic cultures.
Language
- Spanish: 80.3%
- Quechua: 16,2%
- Other languages: 3.0%
- Foreign Language: 0.2%
Currency and Payment
The currency is the Sol (S /.) With their decimal multiples, circulating coins of 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1, 2.5 soles. There are notes of 10, 20, 50,100 and 200 Soles. The dollar and euro are accepted in local tourist services, according to the exchange rate of the day.
(1 € = 3.80 S /. Approx)
($ 1 = 2.80 S /. Approx)
(Currency exchange made July 31, 2014)
Most credit cards are valid as, Diner's Club, Visa, Master Card, and American Express. The Travelers Check have limitations, check before if accepted.
Visas for Tourism
It is not necessary for most of the citizens of America and Western Europe. The population of Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile do not need a visa or passport to enter certain regions of the country. In this case the remaining term is 60 or 90 days extendable by Immigration authorities.
Schedule - Peru
Peruvian time is determined less than 5 hours GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Referring to other cities, when it is noon in Peru are:
- Lima, capital of Peru (12:00 h)
- Los Angeles (10:00 a.m.)
- New York (13:00 h)
- Santiago de Chile (13:00 h)
- Buenos Aires (14:00 h)
- Rio de Janeiro (14:00 h)
- London (18:00 h)
- Madrid (19:00 h)
- Paris (19:00 h)
- Tokyo (02:00 h)
- Sydney (03:00 h)
As part of its rich cultural tradition, Peru features many different languages. Although Spanish is the common language, Quechua is a major legacy of the Inca empire, and in many regions is still spoken with slight variations by region.
There are also other dialects as Aymara (in Puno) and various Amazonian languages spread over an astonishing range of families that even in these days, surviving about 15 linguistic stocks, resulting in 43 different languages.