Peru is located in the central part of the western coast of South America. It stretches across 1,285,215 square kilometers and has a population of some 23.5 million.

Peru's inhabitants are mostly of Andean stock in the highlands and mixed-blooded "mestizos" on the coast, blended in with a hefty influx of European blood, largely Spanish.

A country doted with a vast and varied geography, Peru features 28 types of climates and 84 of the 103 ecological zones existing on Earth.

Its territory is split into three natural regions running from north to south: the Coast narrow swathe of desert coastline, which is home to Lima and most of Peru's main cities; the Highlands, which feature breath-taking mountain landscapes and picturesque villages; and the exuberant Amazon jungle, teeming with a dizzying variety of animals and plantlife.

Lima , the Peruvian capital, was founded on January 18, 1535, by Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Dubbed the "City of Kings", Lima is today a vast metropolis which blends the splendor of its colonial past with the modern era.