Portal:Peru

Republic of Peru
*República del Perú* (Spanish)
Republic of Peru República del Perú (Spanish)
	Flag Coat of arms
Capital	Lima; 12°2.6′S 77°1.7′W / 12.0433°S 77.0283°W
ISO 3166 code	PE

Introduction

Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a megadiverse country, with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west, to the peaks of the Andes mountains extending from the north to the southeast of the country, to the tropical Amazon basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon River. Peru has a population of over 32 million, and its capital and largest city is Lima. At 1,285,216 km² (496,225 sq mi), Peru is the 19th largest country in the world, and the third largest in South America.

Peruvian territory was home to several cultures during the ancient and medieval periods, and has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country, tracing its heritage back to the 10th millennium BCE Caral–Supe civilization, the earliest civilization in the Americas and considered one of the cradles of civilization. Notable succeeding cultures and civilizations include the Nazca culture, the Moche, Wari and Tiwanaku empires, the Kingdom of Cusco, and the Inca Empire, the largest known state in the pre-Columbian Americas. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and Charles V established a viceroyalty with the official name of the Kingdom of Peru that encompassed most of its South American territories, with its capital in Lima. Higher education started in the Americas with the official establishment of the National University of San Marcos in Lima in 1551.

Peru's population includes Mestizos, Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechuan languages, Aymara, or other Indigenous languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music. Peru has recently gained international recognition for its vibrant gastronomy, blending Indigenous, Spanish, African, and Asian influences. Lima is now considered a global culinary capital, home to award-winning restaurants like Central and Maido. (Full article...)

Recognized content -

Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

Site of the battle at the terraces of Ollantaytambo

The Battle of Ollantaytambo (Spanish: Batalla de Ollantaytambo, IPA: [baˈtaʎa ðe oʎantajˈtambo]) took place in January 1537, between the forces of Inca emperor Manco Inca and a Spanish expedition led by Hernando Pizarro during the Spanish conquest of Peru. A former ally of the Spaniards, Manco Inca rebelled in May 1536, and besieged a Spanish garrison in the city of Cusco. To end the stand-off, the besieged mounted a raid against the emperor's headquarters in the town of Ollantaytambo. The expedition, commanded by Hernando Pizarro, included 100 Spaniards and some 30,000 Indian auxiliaries against an Inca army of more than 20,000.

There is some controversy over the actual location of the battle; according to some, it took place in the town itself, while Jean-Pierre Protzen and John Hemming argue that the nearby plain of Mascabamba better matches the descriptions of the encounter. In any case, the Inca army managed to defend against the Spanish forces from a set of high terraces and flooded their position by channeling water from the Urubamba River, which greatly hindered the Spanish cavalry. Severely pressed and unable to advance, the Spaniards withdrew by night to Cusco. Despite this victory, the arrival of Spanish reinforcements to Cusco forced Manco Inca to abandon Ollantaytambo and seek refuge in the heavily forested region of Vilcabamba, where he established the small independent Neo-Inca State which survived until 1572. (Full article...)

List of recognized articles

Selected image

Photo credit: RedWolf

Alpamayo (Spanish: Nevado Alpamayo) is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes. It is a steep (sixty degrees), almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Santa Cruz massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca. Although smaller than many of its neighboring peaks, it is distinguished by its unusual formation and overwhelming beauty. It actually has two sharp summits, North and South, separated by a narrow corniced ridge. (more...)

Selected battle

The Cenepa War (January 26 – February 28, 1995), also known as the Alto Cenepa War, was a brief and localized military conflict between Ecuador and Peru, fought over control of a disputed area on the border between the two countries. The indecisive outcome of the conflict — with both sides claiming victory — along with the mediation efforts of the United States of America, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, paved the way for the opening of diplomatic negotiations that ultimately led to the signing of a definitive peace agreement in 1998, putting an end to one of the longest territorial disputes in the Western Hemisphere. (more...)

In this month

March 16, 1892 - César Vallejo, the most important Peruvian poet, is born in Santiago de Chuco.

March 19, 1742 - José Gabriel Túpac Amaru Túpac Amaru II, leader of an indigenous uprising in 1780 against the Spanish in Peru, is born.

March 28, 1936 - Writer, politician, journalist and essayist Mario Vargas Llosa representing the Latin American Boom is born.

March 31, 1950 - The National Flag is adopted in its present form by removing the Coat of Arms from the center of the flag.

More anniversaries...

General images

The following are images from various Peru-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Population map of Peru in 2007 (regional) (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 2Life expectancy in Peru since 1940 (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 3Battle of Junín, 6 August 1824 (from History of Peru)
Image 4Territorial changes after the war (from History of Peru)
Image 51882-83 Sierra Campaign (from History of Peru)
Image 6Peru's football team in 1970; the ethnic diversity of Peruvians is visible, with players showing African, Amerindian and European ancestry in various mixes. (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 7Demonstration in Lima against Manuel Merino, 12 November 2020 (from History of Peru)
Image 8Peruvian Paso (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 9Demonstration in Lima against Manuel Merino, 12 November 2020 (from History of Peru)
Image 10Peruvian girls (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 11Plan of the City of Kings (Lima), 1674. (from History of Peru)
Image 12Life expectancy in Peru since 1960 by gender (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 13The flag of Peru flies over the port of Leticia after the takeover (from History of Peru)
Image 14Dissolution of Peru-Bolivia:
  Peru-Bolivia
  Controlled by the United Restoration Army
  First Provisional Government of Peru
  Northern Peruvian Republic
  Second Provisional Government of Peru
  Provisional Government of Bolivia
  New Peruvian State
  New Bolivian State
  Controlled by the United Restoration Army during the restoration
  De facto borders after the dissolution
  Disputed between Peru-Bolivia and Argentina
  Disputed between Bolivia and Argentina
(from History of Peru)
Image 151882-83 Sierra Campaign (from History of Peru)
Image 16Territorial changes after the war (from History of Peru)
Image 17Amerindian woman with child (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 18Colonial tapestry, late 17th or early 18th century. It was woven by indigenous weavers for a Spanish client, incorporating then-fashionable Chinese imagery. (from History of Peru)
Image 19Colonial tapestry, late 17th or early 18th century. It was woven by indigenous weavers for a Spanish client, incorporating then-fashionable Chinese imagery. (from History of Peru)
Image 20Battle of Junín, 6 August 1824 (from History of Peru)
Image 21Map showing the Tacna-Arica dispute and its solution (from History of Peru)
Image 22Plan of the City of Kings (Lima), 1674. (from History of Peru)
Image 23Map showing the Tacna-Arica dispute and its solution (from History of Peru)
Image 24Sánchez Cerro during the signing ceremony of the new constitution on April 9, 1933. (from History of Peru)
Image 25Dissolution of Peru-Bolivia:
  Peru-Bolivia
  Controlled by the United Restoration Army
  First Provisional Government of Peru
  Northern Peruvian Republic
  Second Provisional Government of Peru
  Provisional Government of Bolivia
  New Peruvian State
  New Bolivian State
  Controlled by the United Restoration Army during the restoration
  De facto borders after the dissolution
  Disputed between Peru-Bolivia and Argentina
  Disputed between Bolivia and Argentina
(from History of Peru)
Image 26The flag of Peru flies over the port of Leticia after the takeover (from History of Peru)
Image 27The Main Square of Lima during the attempted coup of 1909. (from History of Peru)
Image 28The Main Square of Lima during the attempted coup of 1909. (from History of Peru)
Image 29Historical population of Peru (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 30Chinatown in Lima (from Demographics of Peru)
Image 31Sánchez Cerro during the signing ceremony of the new constitution on April 9, 1933. (from History of Peru)

Selected article -

The area of the Chavín civilization, as well as areas with Chavín cultural influences

The Chavín culture was a pre-Columbian civilization, developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru around 900 BCE, ending around 250 BCE. It extended its influence to other civilizations along the Peruvian coast. The Chavín people (whose name for themselves is unknown) were located in the Mosna Valley where the Mosna and Huachecsa rivers merge. This area is 3,150 metres (10,330 ft) above sea level and encompasses the quechua, suni, and puna life zones. In the periodization of pre-Columbian Peru, the Chavín is the main culture of the Early Horizon period in highland Peru, characterized by the intensification of the religious cult, the appearance of ceramics closely related to the ceremonial centers, the improvement of agricultural techniques and the development of metallurgy and textiles.

The best-known archaeological site for the Chavín culture is Chavín de Huántar, located in the Andean highlands of the present-day Ancash Region. Although Chavín de Huántar may or may not have been the center or birthplace of the Chavín culture, it was of great importance and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know (auto-generated) -

... that some prisoners in Peru get tattoos of Sarita Colonia for alleged protection?
...that the Locumba uprising was thought by many to be a cover for the escape of Vladimiro Montesinos, Peru's de facto leader from 1990 to 2000?
... that Swedish naval officer Axel Lagerbielke was imprisoned in Lima for over a year, held in Callao and eventually escaped from Panama on an English packet boat to Jamaica?
... that some people chanted "USA, USA!" and others waved Peruvian flags at the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV?
... that Peru's fishing industry is the world's largest producer of fishmeal and fish oil?
... that the Saxe–Goldstein hypothesis has been used to explain burial practices in Greece, Australia, Madagascar and Peru?
... that sisters Talia and Tori DellaPeruta, college teammates at North Carolina, play soccer professionally for Sampdoria?
... that a bust of former Peruvian president Justiniano Borgoño was stolen from its pedestal by thieves?

Related portals

Selected quote -

“

It isn't true that convicts live like animals: animals have more room to move around.

”

Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, and essayist Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa

Basic facts & figures

More did you know...

...that the city of Lima (pictured) flourished in the 17th century as the center of a trade network which extended as far as Europe and the Philippines?
...that Alejandro Toledo led the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori and was elected as president in the 2001 general election?
...that the Peru national football team withdrew from the 1936 Berlin Olympics after its victory over Austria was annulled?
...that in the Quechua language, sentences are marked by an evidential suffix which indicates how certain the speaker is about his statement?
...that soprano Yma Sumac became an international success based on the merits of her extreme vocal range?

Peru Topics

Recognized content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Peru}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.