Peru has some of the most spectacular and varied sceneries in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians. 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. Peru is in western South America and shares borders with Chile (to the south), Bolivia (southeast), Brazil (northeast), Colombia (north) and Ecuador (northwest).
Area: 1.28 million sq km
Population: 28 million
Capital: Lima
People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Language: Aymara, Quechua, Spanish, and Castilian
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population
Government: Constitutional Republic
GDP: US$56.9 billion
Major Industries: Pulp, paper, coca leaves, fishmeal, chemicals, oil, minerals, cement, auto assembly, steel, and shipbuilding.
Major Trading Partners: USA, Japan, UK, China, Germany, and Columbia.
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