| Geography of Peru | |
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| Continent | Americas |
| Region | South America |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | Ranked 20th 1,285,220 km² (496,226. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. 2 sq mi) 97. 2% land 2. 8 % water |
| Borders | Total land borders: 5 536 km Bolivia: 900 km Brazil: 1 560 km Chile: 160 km Colombia: 1 496 km Ecuador: 1 402 km |
| Highest point | Nevado Huascaran (6,768 m. This is a list of land borders between countries 'Note: Entries which are not sovereign states are italicized. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a Mountain in the province of Yungay - Cordillera Blanca, part of the Western Andes. ) |
| Lowest point | -34 m (Bayovar Depression) |
| Longest river | Amazon |
| Largest lake | Lake Titicaca |
Peru is a country in South America facing the Pacific Ocean. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions
Area:
land: 1. 28 million km²
water: 5,220 km²
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
Contents |
Climate
The combination of tropical latitude, various mountain ranges, topography variations and two ocean currents (Humboldt and El Niño) gives Peru a large diversity of climates. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. The climate of Peru is very diverse The north-south extension of the country and the presence of the Andes mountains together produce a large variety of Climates
Amazon Basin or Low Amazon
The eastern portions of Peru includes the Amazon Basin or selva baja, a region that is larger in the north than in the south. Representing roughly 60% of Peru's national territory, this area includes the Amazon, Marañón, Huallaga and Ucayali Rivers. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers The Marañón River (Río Marañón rises about 160 km to the northeast of Lima, Peru, flows through a deeply-eroded Andean valley in a northwesterly direction The Huallaga River is a tributary of the Marañón River, part of the Amazon Basin. Alternative use Ucayali Region The Ucayali River, which rises about 110 km (70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is a branch of the It is a vast tropical forest with countless rivers and streams. Rainfall varies from 2000 to 4000 mm per year.
Andean Mountain Ranges
The Andes shelter the largest variety of climates in the country. The climate is semi-arid in the valleys and moist in higher elevations and towards the eastern flanks. Rainfall varies from 200 to 1500 mm per year. The rainy season starts in October and ends in April. The rainiest months are January through March where travel can be sometimes affected.
The western slopes are arid to semi-arid and receive rainfall only between January and March. Below the 2500 m mark, the temperatures vary between 5 and 15 °C in the night versus 18 to 25 °C in the day.
Between 2500 and 3500 meters the temperatures vary from 0 to 12 °C in the night and from 15 to 25 °C during the day. At higher elevations from 3500 to 4500 meters, the Puna ecoregion, the temperature varies from −10 to 8 °C during the night versus 15 °C during the day.
The northernmost regions of the Andes around Cajamarca and Piura regions have Paramo climates. Cajamarca is located in the northern highlands of Peru and is the capital of the Cajamarca region. Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Paramo redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Paramo (genus.
Coast
The Peruvian coast is a microclimatic region. The region is affected by the cold Humboldt Current, the El Niño Southern Oscillation, tropical latitude, and the Andes mountain range. The Humboldt Current is a cold low- Salinity Ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO; commonly referred to as simply El Niño) is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America.
The central and southern coast consists mainly of a subtropical desert climate composed of sandy or rocky shores and inland cutting valleys. Days alternate between overcast skies with occasional fog in the winter and sunny skies with occasional haze in the summer, with the only precipitation being an occasional light-to-moderate drizzle that is known locally as garúa. Drizzle (also called mizzle) is light precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than that of Rain, and generally smaller than 0 These regions are usually characterized by having mildy cold lows (14 C°) and also mild highs (30 C°). Temperatures rarely fall below 14 C° and do not go over 30 C°. An exception is the southern coast, where it does get a bit warmer and drier for most of the year during daytime, and where it can also get much colder during winter nights (8 to 9C°). The occasional drizzle or fog of the central and southern coast is common during winter months, but even during summer days there are some foggy days. One must not forget that although it may not be as warm as typical tropical latitudes, the sun will hit and strike as if you were in any other tropical place.
The northern coast, on the contrary, has a curious tropical-dry climate, generally referred to as tropical savanna. Tropical and subtropical grasslands savannas and shrublands are a Grassland Biome located in Semi-arid to semi- Humid Climate regions This region is a lot warmer and can be unbearable during summer months, where rainfall is also present. The region differs from the southern coast by the presence of shrubs, equotorial dry forests , mangrove forests, tropical valleys near rivers such as the Chira and the Tumbes, and is blessed with clear, sunny skies for most of the year. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. Río Chira is the name of a river in northern Peru whose mouth is 20 km north of the provincial capital of Piura. The average temperature is 25 C°.
Central & Southern Coast
The central and southern coastal have a subtropical desert climate. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Even though the region is located at tropical latitudes the Humboldt Current is 7 to 8 degrees Celsius colder than normal tropical seas at 14 to 19 °C. The Humboldt Current is a cold low- Salinity Ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile This fact affects the coastal terrain preventing high tropical temperatures from appearing, and since the Andes mountains tend to be closer to the coast it also prevents Amazon clouds to appear, creating a shade effect with few annual rainfalls until you reach the northern coast.
Rainfall averages 5 mm/yr near the Chilean border to 200 mm/yr in the northern coast and near the Andes.
The central coast is composed of regions like La Libertad, Ancash and Lima, having a spring-like climate for most of the year. La Libertad is a region in northwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Lambayeque, Cajamarca and Amazonas regions on the north the Ancash is a region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad region on the north the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking Foggy and sunny days intermingle around the humid sand dunes most of the year.
Most summers (January-April) have pleasant temperatures from 19 to 22 °C during the nights to about 29 to 30 °C during daytime. Winters (June-October) are very humid, and range from 14 to 15 °C during the nights to around the 17 to 18 °C during the day.
The spring and autumn months have a pleasant climate that ranges from 24 °C during the day to around 17 °C during the night. As you go inland, away from the coast and on to the yunga valleys the climate is drier and warmer during all seasons: around 3 degrees Celsius warmer in any given month.
Strangely enough, it also gets warmer if you go north of Lima into La Libertad or Ancash or south of Lima (Pisco, Chincha), at least during the day. The reason is probably since Lima is located where the Humboldt current prevails, yet there are tropical sun rays above the clouds that create fog and since there is no passage of hot clouds from the Amazon to the coast, the climate is cooler that similar tropical latitudes. This created a lot of humidity and fog in winter times.
The southern coast composed of Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna regions have a drier and warmer climate during the day-time for all months except for winters. Ica is a region in Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west the Lima Region on the north the Huancavelica and Ayacucho For the Cactus Genus, see Oreocereus. Arequipa is the capital of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru Moquegua (founded as Villa de Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua) is a city in southern Peru located in the Moquegua Region, of which it is the History Francisco Antonio De Zela, a royal accountant (similar in function to a modern-day income tax auditor initiated the push for Peruvian Independence from Spain There are regions famous for their sand dunes and impressive deserts since the climate is drier and hotter. The temperatures can go as high as 36 °C in the Nazca and regions inland, yet can fall to 8 or 9 °C during the winter months. For the archaeological site see Nazca Lines. For the culture it belonged to see Nazca culture. During the daytime temperatures rarely go below the 22 or 23 °C for all months. These fact determine that the southern coast have a semi Mediterranean desert like climate yet there is small variations between temperatures during night time or day time, as regions in tropical latitudes. Clear skies are for the most part attractive near the coastal cliffs, home to a variety of fish and marine mammals.
Northern Coast
The northern coast consists of the eastern region of Lambayeque, the Piura Region and the Tumbes Region. Piura is a Coastal region in northwestern Peru. "Piura" is derived from the Quechua word pirhua, whose approximate meaning is "supply Tumbes is a Coastal region in northwestern Peru. Due to the region's location near the Equator it has a warm climate with beaches that are They are characterized by having different climate and geography from the rest of the coast. Right between the 3 hour drive on the Sechura desert, which is located north of the Lambayeque Region and south of the Piura Region, is the evidence of climate change from the common subtropical desert found on the south to visible tropicalization effects of the tropical dry climate or tropical savanna. The Sechura desert, also known as the Peruvian Desert or the Peru-Chile Desert is a large stretch of desert extending north from the Atacama Desert along the northwestern Lambayeque is a region in northwestern Peru, known for its rich Chimú and Moche historical past Piura is a Coastal region in northwestern Peru. "Piura" is derived from the Quechua word pirhua, whose approximate meaning is "supply Tropical and subtropical grasslands savannas and shrublands are a Grassland Biome located in Semi-arid to semi- Humid Climate regions Examples of this are the tropical dry forests that begin to appear. They are composed of shrubs, thorny trees, carrob trees, faique trees, huayacan trees, hualtaco trees, palo santo trees, ceibo trees and on the coast mangrove forests. It is also a biodiverse area where typical wildlife can be observed such as crocodiles, reptiles, iguanas, boas, pava aliblanca, anteater (bear), sloth (bearh) and many more.
This climatical reasons for change are the presence of the warm Niño Current during the summer months (December to April), the eventual El Niño Phenomenon and the passing of Amazon Jungles clouds due to mountain openings and lower altitudes of the Andes Chain. El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO; commonly referred to as simply El Niño) is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon These are the causes for a climate change in a short two or three hour trajectory that is visible between the Lambayeque Region and the Sechura Province, where not only geography changes but a temperature rise of 6 °C or mor depending on the month. Lambayeque is a region in northwestern Peru, known for its rich Chimú and Moche historical past The Sechura It is directly off the shores of the Sechura Region where the cold Humboldt current and warm el Niño current meet, at about 5° to 6° south of the equator. The Sechura From this point warm temperatures are most common, and there are no true winters. Average temperatures range between 24. 5-27 C°. Clear skies, beautiful warm valleys, eroded terrains with reddish colored sands, rice fields, palm trees, savannas, bushy forests, dense rivers, beautiful warm turquoise beaches, orangey or yellowish terrains, clearer sands and a sun that hits like the African plateau, where shade is almost impossible.
Summer (December through March) is more humid and very hot, with average temperatures that vary from 25 °C during the night to around 34 °C during the day, although north of Lambayeque it can reach the 40 °C. Winters (June-September) are cooler during the nights; around 16 °C during the night, to around 27 °C during the daytime.
There are protected areas in Tumbes and Piura filled with tropical canelo forests and tropical dry forests such as Caza de Coto and Cerros de Amotape, both extending into southern Ecuador. Tumbes can refer to Tumbes (city in Peru the Tumbes River in South America the Tumbes Region in Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Drimys winteri ( Winter's Bark) or Canelo, is a slender Tree, growing up to 20 m (65 ft tall The areas of Eastern Lambayeque also have tropical dry forests which are found in the Chaparri and Chongoyape provinces. Lambayeque is a region in northwestern Peru, known for its rich Chimú and Moche historical past These forests have the particularity of connecting to the Amazon basin through the Marañon passage (an area where there are also tropical dry forests). The Marañón River (Río Marañón rises about 160 km to the northeast of Lima, Peru, flows through a deeply-eroded Andean valley in a northwesterly direction Mangrove forests are located in four specific areas from Sechura to Tumbes. Sechura is a town in northwestern Peru, 52 km south of Piura. Tumbes can refer to Tumbes (city in Peru the Tumbes River in South America the Tumbes Region in
In these regions there are mangroove forests at the ending strips of the Piura River in the Sechura Province Vice (the southernmost mangroves in the Pacific Ocean). The Sechura The software program VICE (all caps standing for V ersat' I' le C ommodore E mulator, is an Emulator for Commodore To the north the ending strips of the Chira River, Tumbes River, and Zarumilla River also have mangrove forests that flow into the ocean. Río Chira is the name of a river in northern Peru whose mouth is 20 km north of the provincial capital of Piura. The Tumbes River ( Spanish: Río Tumbes or Río Túmbez in Peru; Río Puyango in Ecuador) is a River in The Zarumilla River is a River in South America that marks the border between Peru and Ecuador.
Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva). A coastal plain is an area of flat low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of Potassium carbonate ( K 2 CO3) Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 21%
forests and woodland: 66%
other: 10% (1993 est. )
Irrigated land: 12,800 km² (1993 est. )
Natural hazards: earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
Environment - current issues: deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the coast and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: shares control of Lake Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
External links
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