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| GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND BORDERS |
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Peru is located on the western coast of South America and is bordered by Colombia and Ecuador (north), Chile (south), the Pacific Ocean
(west) and Brazil and Bolivia
(east).
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| LANGUAGES |
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Spanish and Quechua are Peru’s official languages, although Spanish is far more widespread. The government recognizes Aymara, together with another 48 native languages. Visitors can communicate in English with people who provide tourist services, such as guides, travel agency personnel and the staffs of three, four and five-star hotels.
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| CAPITAL |
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Peru’s capital is Lima.
The most important cities are Arequipa, Cusco, Trujillo, Iquitos, Juliaca, Chiclayo, Huancayo and Huaraz, among others.
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| Photos: PromPerú |
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PROFILE OF PERU
On this web page, we show you all of the tourist treasures and attractions this precious country holds for the visitor. Peru has the privilege of possessing sites of great cultural value that millions of people dream of visiting, such as Machu Picchu. It also offers a wide variety of landscapes, fauna and flora, as well as an internationally renowned cuisine.
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OFFICIAL NAME |
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Republic of Peru.
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POPULATION AND AREA |
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Peru is expected to have a population of approximately 26 million inhabitants by the year 2003, living in an area of 1 285 216k2.
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FORM OF GOVERNMENT |
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Peru has a democratic government in which the President and Congressmen are elected every five years by majority vote of the people.
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RELIGION |
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There is freedom of worship in Peru, but most of the people are Roman Catholic.
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TIME |
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Greenwich Mean Time minus 5 hours (GMT –5)
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CURRENCY |
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Peru’s official monetary unit is the new sol (S/.), consisting of 100 centavos.
There are 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavo and 1, 2, and 5 new sol coins and bills of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 new soles in circulation.
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-Exchange rate: |
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To find out the currency exchange rate visit:
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Most shops, restaurants and service stations accept dollars in payment at the exchange rate of the day.
The exchange rate is governed by the market price of the day.
Visitors are recommended to exchange their money at hotels, banks and authorized exchange houses (business hours are from about 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
The exchange rate to the United States dollar varies, so visitors are recommended to ask about the current rate before exchanging their money. Those wishing to exchange other currencies should consult the exchange houses about rates.
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-Credit cards and travelers’ checks: |
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Most business establishments accept the well-known credit cards: Visa, Master Card, Diners and American Express. Traveler’s checks are not accepted everywhere, so check with the establishment first.
Number to call to cancel American Express Traveler’s Checks:
001-800-8602908
Numbers to call to cancel Credit Cards:
Visa: 001-800-4281858 / 1-410-5810120
Master Card: (01) 311-6000
American Express: (525) 326-2660
(call operator 108 collect)
Diners Club: (01) 221-2050
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AIRPORT TAX |
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For international departures: US$
30.25
For national flights: US $ 6.00.
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