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General
Information
Peru
is located in the central and western part of South America.
Its neighbors to the north are Ecuador and Colombia; Brazil
and Bolivia to the east; Chile to the south and the Pacific
Ocean along the west coast. It covers a surface
area of 1,285,215.6 square kilometers (803,259 sq. miles),
distributed as follows: 12% of the land is coastal, 28%
in the sierra, and 60% in the jungle.
The
population boasts nearly 24 million inhabitants with 7
million concentrated in the city of Lima.
The Peruvian population is primarily mixed, with a notable
indigenous minority that lives mainly in the Andean south
and the Amazon.
Politically,
Peru is divided into 24 districts, subdivided into
194 provinces and a constitutional province, which is
El Callao (the main Peruvian port). Furthermore, the territory
is divided into 13 regions, including provinces of one
or more districts.
There
are two official languages in Peru: Spanish and Quechua
which is spoken by 24% of the population. Most of the
people who speak Quechua are bilingual, with Spanish as
their second language. In addition, there are 55 other
Amazon languages in the country, apart from the Aymara,
spoken in the high plateaus.
Most
of the population is Roman Catholic (80%), the official
religion of Peru; however, there is freedom of religion.
The City of Lima
The
city of Lima is located on the west coast, along the outlet
of the Rímac river. It is divided into 49 districts and
it is Peru's largest city: 30% of the population lives
there (more than 6 million inhabitants), most of them
having emigrated from the provinces. Therefore, it is
an overcrowded city, fairly chaotic, and full of contrasts.
At every corner you bump into the traditional characteristics
of an agricultural society contrasting with the modernity
imposed by the market economy.
Lima
Map
Spanish Language
Since Spanish is the official language, Peru is the perfect country to learn
how to speak. You can find Spanish language schools in Lima and other
cities.
- El Sol Spanish School is located in the city of Lima along a residential
street, a few blocks from the heart of Miraflores. More information here.
- You can also learn Spanish on line.
Visit www.spanishprograms.com (Learn Spanish)
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