Peru is a country located in the Western Hemisphere, bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia. Peru covers an area of 1,285,216 square kilometers (496,225 square miles), making it the 19th largest country in the world. As of July 2019, Peru has a population of 32.7 million people. The capital and largest city of Peru is Lima.
Peru is a megadiverse country with a wide range of natural habitats. The coastal region is home to desert landscapes like those found in the Atacama Desert; the Amazon rainforest dominates the eastern part of the country; while the Andes mountains extend along almost the entire length of Peru’s western border. Between these extremes lie fertile valleys and plains where most Peruvians live and work.
Peruvian culture has been shaped by its indigenous peoples as well as influences from Spain and other European countries who colonized it starting in the 16th century. Today, Peruvians identify themselves as belonging to one or more ethnic groups including Amerindians (also known as Indigenous peoples), Europeans (primarily Spaniards), Afro-Peruvians, Asians (primarily Chinese and Japanese), mestizos (of mixed Amerindian and European ancestry), zambos (of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry), mulattos (of mixed African and European ancestry) ,and cholos/cholas (of mixed Amerindian or Mestizo descent).
The official language of Peru is Spanish but there are also many speakers of Quechua – an indigenous language that was formerly only spoken by peasants but which has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years thanks largely to efforts by Quechua-speaking intellectuals to promote its use. Other indigenous languages spoken in Peru include Aymara and Shipibo-Conibo; however these languages are not as widely used as Quechua or Spanish. English is also spoken by some Peruvians although mostly limited to business contexts or among educated elites.
The economy of Peru is characterized by being diversified with a large informal sector accounting for approximately half of all employment while agriculture still plays an important role especially in rural areas where it employs around 30% of the population despite accounting for only around 10% of GDP . Manufacturing accounts for around 20% of GDP while services make up approximately 60%. Major export products include gold, copper , textiles , coffee , fish meal , petroleum products , chemicals , pharmaceuticals etc.. The main trading partners are China , United States , Chile , Brazil , Netherlands among others . Tourism has become increasingly important in recent years with visitors primarily coming from North America and Europe although there are also increasing numbers from Asia particularly China .