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Perú
Perú is located in the central part along the western coast
of South America. It covers 1,285,215 square kilometres and has
a population of nearly 28 million. Peru's inhabitants are mostly
of Andean stock in the highlands and mixed-blood "mestizos"
on the coast, blended with a hefty influx of European blood, largely
Spanish. A country dotted with a vast and varied geography, Peru
features 28 types of climates and contains 84 of the 103 ecological
zones existing on Earth. Its territory is split into three natural
regions running from north to south: the Coast, a 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 plant life.
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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 splendour of its
colonial past with the modern era. Nestling on the banks of the
Rimac River and on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Lima is the
seat of government and the country's most important institutions.
The population of Lima is more than 8 million people, making it
by far the country's largest city, bustling with more business and
industrial activity than anywhere else in Peru. Lima, a metropolis
steeped in vice-regal airs, is the perfect starting point for travellers
interested in getting to know Peru.
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Cusco
Cusco is located at 3,360 meters above sea level, in the Huatanay
Valley of the south-eastern Andes of Peru. Visiting Cusco is an
unforgettable experience, as it allows you to uncover some of the
mysteries of the Incas, because Cusco was the centre, the "navel,"
of the Andean world. The city of Cusco is surrounded by impressive
archaeological remains such as the citadel of Machu Picchu, the
fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Ollantaytambo compound and picturesque
towns such as Pisaq, Calca and Yucay, which still preserve the traditions
of their ancestors.
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