Peru is the cradle of civilization in South America, spawning vast empires with meticulously planned road systems, aqueducts and cities that rose and fell for thousands of years.

In the coastal desert north of Peru's current capital, Lima, a mysterious culture built Caral, the oldest known city in the Americas, which was part of a complex society that flourished as far back as 3000 B.C. at the same time the pyramids of Egypt were being built.

Other progenitors of Peruvian high culture were the Chavin, which dominated the central Andes, erecting large ceremonial centers and introducing advances in textiles and metallurgy of gold, silver and copper from 1900 B.C. to 900 B.C.

The Nazca thrived from A.D. 200 to A.D. 800, etching gigantic figures and geometric designs into the southern desert plain, including a 270-foot monkey and a condor with a 400-foot wingspan. The Moche and, later the Chimu, cultures constructed adobe pyramids and large walled cities decorated with intricate frieze murals on the northern coast from A.D. 100 to A.D. 1470.

The Inca ruled Peru from the 1430s until the arrival in 1532 of Spanish conquistadors, and left behind the ruins of incredible stone-block cities and monuments. Machu Picchu, perched on a craggy mountaintop above a lush valley some 310 miles (500km) southeast of Lima, remains the premier testament to the Inca Empire that at its height extended from modern-day Colombia to Chile.

Peru encompasses an area of 514,100 square miles (1,285,216 km2) and is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina. It is divided into three regions: Coast, Highlands and Jungle.

Peru is located in Western South America, bordered by the South Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile

Minerals, oil, petroleum, gold, copper, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, metal fabrication, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, textiles, clothing, food processing, coffee, cotton, fruits, sugarcane, rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, plantains, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products, wool; fish.

Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west,- temperate to frigid in Andes

Peru's official currency is the Nuevo sol (S/.) Currency code; PEN, divided into 100 cents. It circulates in coins of 10, 20, 50, cents and 1, 2, 5 Nuevos Soles. The US dollar is accepted in the majority of commercial establishments, restaurants and service stations at the daily rate of exchange. You can pay too with Euros. The majority of establishments accept the best known credit cards like Visa, Master Card, Diners and American Express. The use of travelers' checks can be limited; therefore it is best to check beforehand.

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Approximately 28 million residents with nearly 8 million concentrated in Lima, the Pacific coast capital of Peru.

Lima is Peru's capital as well as the main gateway to Peru.

Spanish, Quechua and Aymara.

Western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva).

220 volts. The majority of four and five star hotels also offer 110 volts.

US Dollar to Nuevo Sol Peruvian 2.84
British Pound to Nuevo Sol Peruvian 4.68
Euro to Nuevo Sol Peruvian 4.25

Kilograms and the metric decimal system.