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Peru. The world’s largest rain forest covers about half of Peru. This jungle is home to plants and animals that don’t live anywhere else on Earth. Some scientists think there may be some Indian tribes there that have never seen the outside world.
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The world’s largest rain forest covers about half of Peru. This jungle is home to plants and animals that don’t live anywhere else on Earth. Some scientists think there may be some Indian tribes there that have never seen the outside world.
The Andes, the 2nd highest mountain range in the world, runs through Peru. The peaks (mountain tops) are so tall that the ancient Inca thought they were gods.
Many of the ecosystems in Peru are undisturbed because the people have left them alone. Off the coast, the water current feeds huge numbers of small fish that feed bigger fish and seabirds like the Humboldt penguins.
One plant that grows in the Andes, the puyaraimondi, grows for a hundred years before blooming.
Peru is the 3rd largest country in South America. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The land has mountains, beaches, deserts, and rain forests.
One of the most important Peruvian cultures was the Inca. They lived in Peru around 600 years ago. Their capital, Cucso, is still a major city today. The Inca built Machu Picchu, a famous and mysterious city in the Andes. The Inca lived for hundreds of years before being conquered by the Spanish in 1532.
The people of Peru are a cultural mix of Indians, Spaniards, other Europeans, African slaves, and Asians. People used to live in the countryside, but today more that 70% live in cities. Most Peruvians follow the Catholic religion that was introduced by the Spanish.
Peru is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. There is gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, and iron found across the country. They have oil and natural gas reserves. With all of this, Peru remains one of the world’s poorest countries. It is difficult to find a job there.
The Incas invented terrace farming so they could grow crops on a steep mountain slope. They used systems of irrigation to catch the rainfall and snow melt off the Andes mountaintops. The Incan government made sure everyone had food to eat. In return for food, the people had to work for the government.
There wasn’t much crime in the Inca Empire because punishment was very harsh and swift.
While the Spanish conquered the Inca in 1531 after many fierce battles, the ancestors of the Incas still live in modern day Peru.
