It's the multiple layers of great civilizations which makes Peru so fascinating. You can wander around colonial cities which have preserved the legacy of the Spanish conquistadors, visit the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco, explore the lost city of Machu Picchu and ponder the enigma of the Nazca Lines (answers on a postcard please). You don't have to be in Peru too long to realize that the 'New World' had a rich and complex cultural life thousands of years before Pizarro turned up wearing funny clothing.

All of this exists in a country with some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians who still speak the ancient tongue of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life. The verdant Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots' - a species-rich area of tropical rain forest that will make your head spin when you start to learn about its ecology. And the coastal deserts, with their huge rolling dunes, farmland oases and fishing villages, are underappreciated by travelers but offer the opportunity to get off the Gringo Trail in a big way. But you don't have to be a zoologist, an anthropologist or a mountain climber to enjoy Peru, all you need is a keen eye, a love of landscape, an interest in history and a very good money belt.

Warning

On March 20, 2002, a few days before a visit by US President Bush, a car bomb exploded near the US Embassy in Lima, killing ten people. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, though it was thought to have been carried out by a local militant group. The US and UK governments have issued alerts on the potential for further terrorism in the days surrounding May 17, an anniversary of sorts for local terrorist organizations.

Lima and traditional tourist areas such as Cuzco and Machu Picchu are considered safe, but care should be exercised at all times. Areas where the government is conducting counter-insurgency campaigns have been designated 'emergency areas' and should not be entered. The Upper Huallaga Valley in the Amazon, home to drug barons and Shining Path guerrillas, is definitely off limits. All nationalities should contact their embassy on arrival for a briefing on the security situation, with particular reference to their planned itinerary.

In 1998, Ecuador and Peru negotiated a settlement to their long-running border dispute. Peru retained a majority of the region in question, save for a 247-acre portion known as Tiwintza, a parcel sucessfully defended by Ecuadorian troops in the 1995 skirmishes.

In the wake of Alberto Fujimori's controversial re-election 28 May 2000, the US State Department posted a public announcement warning that political demonstrations are becoming 'larger and more frequent.'

Full country name: Republic of Peru
Area: 1,285,215 sq km (501,234 sq mi)
Population: 27,012,899 (1.9% growth)
Capital city: Lima (pop 8 million)
People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population
Government: Democracy
President: Alejandro Toledo
Prime Minister: Carlos Ferrero Costa

GDP: US$111.8 billion
GDP per head: US$4,300
Annual growth: 1.8%
Inflation: 6.7%
Major industries: Pulp, paper, coca leaves, fishmeal, steel, chemicals, oil, minerals,cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding
Major trading partner: USA, Japan, UK, China, Germany, Columbia

next