STUDENTS: Guillermo Alexander Aguirre Zorrilla Juan Valdemar Colichon Ramírez

TEACHER: Alan Augusto Powlison

YEAR: 2015

Peru: Country biodiversePeru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is an extremely biodiverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west to the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river.

Peru is a wonderful country that has beautiful and exotic cities, which delight locals and tourists alike with a variety of entertainment, art, design, music, and one of the richest and most prestigious cuisines in the world.

Peru offers lots of fun and plenty of flavor. The capital city is a modern and fine example of the cosmopolitan side of Peru.

Fun and Entertainment

Peru offers a wide range of places and activities for relaxing and recreation. Every city, whether it be on the coast, mountains or jungle, entertains visitors with a host of events, shows, fairs, festivals and concerts.

Entertainment at night

Peruvians celebrate everything, which is why our cities have a night entertainment zone, with nightclubs, bars, peñas and discos, which each night present authentic musical and artistic acts, with regional fusions, popular music as well as foreign genres.

Restaurants

Today, gastronomy is a symbol of national identity. Rich in raw materials, species and imagination, Peru holds thousands of options and ideas, each tastier than the last, in top restaurants, in the sites known as “huariques” and on market stalls, where home-made flavors will make your taste buds tingle.

Shopping Malls

Large and spacious malls, perfect for taking a walk and going to shows, fast food patios, multi-screen cinemas and amusement games for children. All of this in addition to the entertainment on offer in the main cities, with department stores and shops selling exclusive brands.

Cinemas and Theaters

Cinema afternoons and theater nights in Peru have become part of the national routine, which is why there is an increasingly diverse offer. They are comfortable, equipped with modern technology and provide a full complement of services.

Peruvian Culture

Peruvian culture is a marvelous blend of modernity and ancient heritage. Our cities proudly maintain this balance between the old and the new, as places that are continuously transformed by the changing times and the mixture of cultures. A cosmopolitan fusion combined with olden time traditions. The cities of Peru are currently undergoing a process of change and renovation. Many historic centers are being restored and new infrastructure incorporated. The regional and departmental capitals offer all of the main health, access and financial services. They also have shopping malls and handicraft centers as well as a range of accommodation options, restaurants, local tourist operators and museums.

Plazas and Historic Monuments

The wide range of native cultures, the mixing with the Hispanic world, as well as the development of the Peruvian culture, have been recorded in beautiful plazas and historic monuments spread around the country’s different cities.

Convents and Cathedrals

The main heritage left by the Colonial Era came from the Catholic faith. Churches were built throughout the country and often on places regarded as sacred by the Andean cultures, with the aim of converting the indigenous people to the Christian faith. In several Peruvian cities these churches and/or convents can still be seen. They are Colonial

architectural jewels, built in European styles and with elements that bear witness to the mixture of both cultures.

The convents and churches both offer visitors the chance to see various works of art from different periods and styles. Some also have small religious museums and impressive libraries.

Mansions and Estates

During the Viceroyalty of Peru, the Spaniards introduced the European urbanism model to the new continent. The new cities were laid out in grids, with the most important areas given to the highest authorities. From top down and in hierarchical order, the residences were allocated to the conquerors.

In this way colonial style mansions were commissioned with central patios, spacious halls, luminous windows and beautiful balconies and were named after their owners to differentiate them: Palacio de Torre Tagle, Casa Osambela, Casa Aliaga, among others.

During Colonial times, the first methods of working the land and rearing animals were organized into small scale acreages and farms. Afterwards, around the middle of the 16th century, the first estates, near the coast and in the Andean areas were established. They grew crops they had brought from Spain such as sugar cane, grapes and olives, among others. These estates were remarkable for their colonial mansions.

Museums

The museums, witnesses to the passage of time and guardian of the cultural treasures of Peru, are perfect places to get to know the country’s history all the way from its ancient origins.

Main destinations and tourist attractions hold different types of museums, including site, history, archaeological and ethnographic museums.

Cultures, Cities and Sacred Sites

From the oldest civilization in America, to the largest and most powerful empire of the southern continent, Ancient Peru conserves the architectural and artistic

vestiges of fascinating cultures. Discovering them is a breathtaking experience. Among the sights we can mention: Machu Picchu, Chavin, Chan Chan, Caral, Kuelap, etc.

Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary

Built high on a mountain, Machu Picchu is an Inca city with temples, palaces, paths and water channels, which clearly shows the ability of an ancient civilization to build with huge stone blocks, without any cement, but with great wisdom. The citadel, which lives in harmony with nature, represents a single expression of the fusion between mountain and city. Due to its important historical legacy, Machu Picchu was declared a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in 1983. According to research, Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century by the Inca Pachacútec. Even the most well known archaeologists propose several theories as to the purpose of the citadel, which some consider to have been a Sanctuary, a Sacred City or an important political, religious and administrative center.

Lines of Nasca and Pampas of Jumana

On the vast pampas of Nazca Jumana, mysterious lines and geoglyphs form geometric patterns as well the figures of animals, anthropomorphic beings, and plants, among others. But their outlines can only be recognized clearly from the sky aboard small airplanes. Despite numerous studies, the lines are an enduring 2,000-year-old mystery that neither time, nor the regions powerful winds, nor any other natural adversaries have been able to erase. Since their discovery in 1927, many theories have been advanced. María Reiche, the German scholar who dedicated her life to the investigation and preservation of the lines, put forth the hypothesis of an astronomical calendar whose figures marked different solar periods. She discovered the ancient practice of carving ditches in the hard, dry soil and filling them with stones brought from distant lands. The component of natural gypsum that exists in the region would have helped preserve the figures over thousands of years. Among the best-known figures are the hummingbird, the condor, and the monkey. There are more than 800 images outlined in the desert. The best way to view the extensive tracings is by flyover in the light aircraft that take off from the Nazca airport. On the Panamericana Sur there are also viewing sites, but only a few of the figures can be fully seen from there.

Lima: World Heritage Site

In the north is the city of Caral, the oldest civilization of America, and to the south is the Archaeological Complex of Pachacamac. Lima's history predates the colonial presence in the country. The establishment of the viceroyalty transformed the city into the main political and administrative center of South America. During this period, significant churches, monasteries, mansions and balconies were built. The arrival of modernity didn’t transform the historic center, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site.

Museums with great works of art, archaeological sites, beaches, the boardwalk, valleys, natural reserves, the nightlife, the thrill of adventure sports, and the exquisite cuisine gives Peru’s capital an authentic personality and makes tourism in Lima a unique experience in the country. Location: On the west central coast of Peru, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Extension: Metropolitan Lima: 2,817 km2.

Peru of Adventure

Extreme Experiences

Peru is versatile and its geography proves it to be the perfect place for adventure. A warm desert coast, an imposing mountain range and a lush jungle invite you to enjoy all kinds of extreme experiences and adventures including hiking in the mountains, surf, sandboarding on coastal dunes and canoeing in rivers.

Natural Peru

Magical Biodiversity and Peruvian Natural Resources

Peru is one of 10 mega-diverse countries of the world, with hundreds of endemic species of flora and fauna; a paradise for observation of animals and plants, or the exploration of remote and mythical landscapes.

Peruvian Gastronomy

Peruvian cuisine, considered among the best in the world, inherited its innovation, mix and flavors from Peru’s history. Its culinary fusion developed over a long process of cultural exchange between the Spanish, Africans, Chinese, Japanese and Italians, among others. The dishes became more and more varied as races mixed and migrants landed at the port of Callao.

This fusion gives rise to dishes like the unique anticucho de corazón (skewered cow heart), tacu-tacu stew and carapulcra, dishes which have African heritage. Nutritious pastas arrived along with Italian migrants, whose adaptations have resulted in traditional dishes like green or red pasta. Ceviche, Peruvian’s emblematic dish, emerged from a fusion with Japanese cuisine. Lastly, the trend of Novo-Andean cuisine boasts indigenous foods worthy of the most elegant settings, reclaiming the national flavor that is such an important part of our identity.