Perhaps no other country has more to offer the visitor than Peru: panoramic mountain ranges, vast deserts, beautiful beaches and tropical jungle. All this combined with a rich historical and archaeological past and enduring indigenous cultures.

Peru is divided into the three main geographical zones of costa (coast), sierra (mountains) and selva (rainforest). Such diverse landscape generates diverse pleasures; Peru successfully offers history, archaeology, sports, beaches, mountains, medicinal springs, nature, fantastic landscapes, friendly people and mesmeric music. Ancient archaeological remains and Nazca Lines augment Peru’s sense of mystery.

The indigenous Inca civilization of what is now Peru was conquered by Spain in the early 16th century. Spain ruled the country until independence in 1821. The War of the Pacific broke out between Peru and Chile in 1879, with a complete victory for Chile and the loss to Peru of some southern territories.

The first of Peru’s many military coups was in 1914. The junta lasted five years, before giving way to the civilian government of Augusto Leguia. His tenure ended with another military take-over. While the military has always been a powerful force in Peruvian politics, its principal opponent and the country’s largest political party for much of the 20th century was the Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana.

Politics has also persistently been dogged by alleged (and sometimes proven) corruption. The ’war on drugs’ has long dominated relations between Peru and the USA. Border disputes have also arisen; the most serious of these was with Ecuador over access to the Amazonian river system and control of the potentially mineral-rich Condor mountain range. In early 1995, full-scale fighting broke out after talks broke down, continuing intermittently until a settlement was reached in 1999.

Geography
Peru is a large, mountainous country on the Pacific coast of South America. It has borders with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west. There are three natural zones, running roughly north to south. The Costa region, which contains Lima (the capital), is a narrow coastal plain consisting of large tracts of desert broken by fertile valleys. The cotton, sugar and rice plantations and most of the so-far exploited oil fields lie in this area. The Sierra contains the Andes, with peaks over 6,000m (20,000ft), most of the country’s mineral resources (silver, zinc, lead, copper and gold) and the greater part of its livestock. The Selva, an area of fertile, subtropical uplands, lies between the Andes and the border with Brazil. The Amazonian jungle has vast natural resources. The absence of land communications, however, left the area largely uncharted until full-scale oil exploration began in 1973. The population is largely Indian and Mestizo with a noticeable influence from African, Chinese and European (mainly Spanish) settlers.