The best time of the year to visit Peru. The main components of climatic features and weather in Peru

Includes 3 climatic zones - Coast, Mountains and Jungle. And the climate in these regions is significantly different. However, even within the same climatic zone, it can differ significantly. This is due to many factors: with the length of the country, with the height above sea level, with currents, with winds.

In general, Peruvian weather can be described as cool but not cold. Not heat determined by the cold current of Humboldt ("La Niña"). Because of it, there is low humidity on the coast, and as a result, an abundance of deserts. Frosts occur only at high altitudes. On the north coast keeps pretty warm weather, because the cold Humboldt current turns towards the equator, and the sea is favorable for swimming. Although Peru certainly can not be called a country beach holiday, water "like fresh milk" happens here only during the warm El Niño current, but such a phenomenon occurs only about once every 3-8 years.

In general, the weather is warm and clear throughout the year. But at night, as a rule, it is cool, which is due to the high location of the city above sea level. It rains from January to March, but the humidity is quite moderate.

Iquitos is located in the jungle in the Amazon. Here is the real tropical climate A: year-round humid, hot, and heavy rains. From June to September, the amount of rain is somewhat less.

Cool weather throughout the year with quite a lot of sunny days. The nights are cold to the point of freezing. From November to March, rains are quite common.

Flat all year round comfortable weather. Precipitation is practically absent, but fogs are very frequent. The sea is cold, you can swim only in February-March, and also when the warm current of El Niño comes.

The coldest of the major Peruvian cities. Frosts are frequent at night, during the day all year round 10-13 degrees Celsius. All this is due to the rather high altitude of the city above sea level. Hypoxia (mountain sickness) can be added to the temperature discomfort. Rains are more common from December to March.

Trujillo is one of the most comfortable cities in Peru. It is warm and rainy here all year round. And from January to March, the ocean temperature is quite comfortable for swimming.

Chiclayo is a real resort town in northern Peru. The temperature is warm all year round, but the ocean warms up well only from January to March, this is the beach season.

Weather in Chincha Alta by months

Although Chincha Alta is located south of Lima, the temperature here is even a little warmer. The climate is very comfortable, and from January to April the ocean is suitable for swimming.

Find:

Latest news about Peru:

• 14.03.2019

  

  Two extreme tourists from Cologne stumbled upon a settlement of pre-Columbian culture in the impenetrable jungle. The value of the find will be judged after the excavation.

  There is no road, not even a path in these tropical forests in the north of Peru - about 600 kilometers from the capital. 27-year-old Tom Schinker (Tom Schinker) and 28-year-old Martin Drushel (Martin Druschel), along with local guides, had to replace each other, making their way through the thickets with a machete.

• 18.12.2017

  DNA analysis of residents of the highlands of Peru has been traveling with his family in a motor home for three years. But this is not a comfortable trailer, which we are used to seeing in the arsenal of self-travellers, but a small car, one might even say - tiny!

  This old Volkswagen model has everything you need for travel and even more: there is a tank with a water heater on the roof, inside there is a TV and a microwave, a place to read, a coffee table. The family does not go on a journey without their beloved pets: aquarium fish, as confirmed in "Centrsoft Academy". An aquarium for them is also built into the interior of the cabin.

Peru is, first of all, hiking, eco-tourism and nature reserves, that's why good weather extremely important. Who wants to explore the famous city of the Incas in the pouring rain or during a thick fog. But even the locals will not tell you when, what month is the best time to go to this South American country. Peru has several climatic zones, but none of them can boast of stable weather. The reason for this is the mountainous terrain and the cold current. And, of course, we must not forget that Peru is located below the equator, which means that everything is the other way around there: our winter is summer; our summer is winter.

Summer months: December-January-February

Until mid-December, you need to have time to visit all the places you are interested in, because then the rainy season begins. These are torrential rains that wash away roads and villages, rivers burst their banks. There is a chance to get stuck in some village, faced with a blockage of stones on the road. In January 2010, about 4,000 people became hostages due to weather conditions and were evacuated by helicopters. The locals are accustomed to this and are practically in no hurry, taking the weather for granted. The mountains can be foggy.

Off-season: March-April-May

Arriving in Peru in March, it is still possible to catch the rains, but every day they will be less and less. Machu Picchu opens in April.

The dry season has begun. The chance of rain in April-May is very low. Hotel prices are starting to rise.

Winter months: June-July-August

Temperatures can drop to zero degrees at night. Warm clothes required! There is practically no heating in hotels, they can bring a heater upon request, but this will not save the situation much. But for hiking, mountain climbing - it's time. The temperature during the day rises to 20-22 degrees. But you can burn in the sun in an instant, so be careful and use creams. It is best to dress in layers so that if the temperature rises, you can throw off some of your clothes.

Off-season: September-October-November

If someone tells you what is the most best time to visit Peru September-October, do not believe it. At this time, it is still quite uncomfortable. The temperature is certainly quite high at about 10 degrees in the morning, but with 100% humidity and constant wind, it feels a little different. But November is really the MOST best month for the trip. The weather is becoming more stable, the rains have not yet come, and the prices in hotels have not yet risen (they rise in December) and there are no crowds of tourists yet.

In addition to the disgusting (you can’t say otherwise) climate, Peru has another big problem - earthquakes. This is a real disaster for a poor country, but the Peruvians somehow manage to coexist with it, rebuilding their simple dwellings anew and restoring roads. Most likely, kinship with the Incas, these imperturbable and wise people, affects.

Peru - a state in South America, occupies the third largest territory among all countries located on this continent. In the northwest, Peru has a border with Ecuador, the north of Peru borders on Colombia, the east - on Brazil, the southeast - on Chile and Bolivia, the western part of the Peruvian state is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The length of the coastline is about 2.4 thousand km, immediately behind it the peaks and peaks of the Andes mountains rise.

A unique feature of this state is the fact that its entire territory is located in several climatic, and, accordingly, natural areas ah, which are strikingly different from each other, thereby providing a wide variety of species of nature, as well as a large number of representatives of both the plant and animal worlds.

The west of the country, washed by the Pacific Ocean and consisting mainly of sandy beaches, is called the Costa, its world of flora and fauna is rather poor and not diverse.

To the east of the coast of the ocean stretched mountain ranges Andes, with deep canyons, snow-capped peaks and majestic high plateaus. This area was called the Sierra, in the mountains a phenomenon altitudinal zonality with a change in natural areas as the height increases.

After the mountain landscapes of the Sierra in the territory of the Amazonian lowland, a zone of wet equatorial forests, this is the Selva, which occupies most of the state of Peru.

Due to the special location of the state on the mainland of South America, the climate of this area is very diverse and depends on geographical location: west - tropical desert type, east - subequatorial type of climate, in the mountains, climatic conditions obey the law of altitudinal zonality.

Climate of Peru by months:

Spring (Autumn in Peru)

Peru is a country located in the southern hemisphere of our planet, so the dates of the seasons here are absolutely different from those in countries north of the equator.

Autumn in Peru starts on March 1 and lasts until May 31 (in the northern hemisphere it is spring). Given time year is very comfortable and convenient for visiting the sights of the Peruvian Republic, the average temperature is + 26 ° in March, the temperature in April is + 24 °, in May - + 22 °, + 23 °. At this time, it is better to refrain from visiting the highlands of the Sierra and the rainforests of the Selva, because there is still a rainy period. The coast of Peru is favorable for visiting in March-April, and in May the fog season begins here, which lasts almost until October. Due to a foggy phenomenon called "Garua", almost all residents of the coastal zone for several months do not have the opportunity to enjoy the view of the sun and feel its warm rays, moreover, precipitation often falls during this period.

At this time, the celebration of the main Catholic celebrations falls. latin world are Good Friday and Catholic Easter. In many major Peruvian cities, mass processions are held, festive church services. Between March and April, solemn worship of the God of earthquakes takes place in Peru, and May is known throughout the world - the pilgrimage of the snow star to the glacier called Colquipunco, which ends with traditional festivities, songs and dances.

Summer (Winter in Peru)

The Peruvian winter starts on June 1 and lasts until August 31 (it is summer in the northern hemisphere). If you want to visit this South American power in winter, then it is better to choose for this just this period from June to August. At that time average temperature during the day it is + 20 ° in June, July - + 19 °, August - + 18 °, the amount of precipitation is minimal. On the Pacific coast during this period, the air temperature is quite cool, but stable. There can be significant fluctuation in the mountains temperature regime: from +25° during the day to +5° at night, precipitation at this time of the year is rare.

June 4 is celebrated throughout the country summer solstice as a tribute to the tradition of the ancestors of the Incas.

On June 24, the Indian Day is held in the former capital of the Inca state of Cuzco, on this day the traditions of ancestors are remembered, their memory is honored, rituals are held in their honor with requests for peace and prosperity for their descendants.

July 28 is Independence Day in Peru, the day Peruvians celebrate their freedom from the Spanish conquerors.

Autumn (Spring in Peru)

Spring in this country falls on the dates from September 1 to November 30 (in the northern hemisphere it is autumn). The air temperature at this time of the year averages +23°, the minimum temperature during this period is +17°, the maximum is +27°. Spring in Peru is mild and has fairly stable weather without much fluctuation, this is an excellent period to explore this amazing country, but do not visit at this time highlands because it often rains there in the spring.

Just in September, the large Peruvian city of Trujillo, located in the north near the Pacific coast, hosts a colorful and impressive International Spring Festival; in November, Lima, the capital of Peru, hosts a bullfighting festival. October 9 is National Dignity Day - one of the main national holidays Peruvian state.

Winter (Summer in Peru)

Summer in Peru starts on December 1st and lasts until December 28th. leap year to February 29 (in the northern hemisphere it is winter). The average temperature in winter is about +23°, the minimum is +18°, the maximum is +28° in February. In the mountains of the Sierra and the tropical Selva, the rainy season begins at this time, high air temperature and high humidity are not very comfortable for the human body, who first came into such conditions. In January, the largest amount of precipitation falls throughout the country, especially in the Selva. Due to the fact that the cold Peruvian current passes along the coast of the ocean, on the Pacific plain, on the contrary, dry and arid weather is established, which lasts from December to April.

New Year's Christmas celebrations, as elsewhere in the world, are held in Peru with a special scope and celebration. For example, in the city of Cusco, on the eve of the Christmas holidays, a mass fair festivities are held, at which various religious souvenirs are put up for sale. From January to April, local celebrations, the so-called siesta, are held throughout the country, which are dedicated to outstanding historical events or patron saints of the area.

Located in the southern hemisphere of the Earth winter season in this country it starts on June 21 and ends on September 21.

Approximately 70% of tourists visit Peru in winter. Why? It is winter here that is a kind of " velvet season when the most comfortable average daily temperature air - about +20°C. In addition, during this period, a large number of spectacular holidays and festivals are celebrated in the country, and finally, winter is the most favorable period visiting the main Peruvian "star" - ancient city. Each winter season, a unique open-air museum “feeds” the entire country with tourism income.

Photo gallery not open? Go to site version.

Climate zones

In all these areas weather in winter they differ significantly from each other. In the western regions, the tropical desert type of climate prevails, in the east - subequatorial, and in the mountainous regions, the altitude of the terrain affects the climatic conditions.

Costa: coast, 10.5% - strip sandy deserts(width 80 - 150 km), which runs along the entire coast of the Pacific Ocean. Due to the cold passing off the coast, the climate of the Costa is dry. AT winter time(June - August) during the day the air temperature warms up to +19°C, respectively, at night it drops to +13°C.

Almost all major tourist cities, as well as the famous one, are located in this zone.

Sierra: mountainous region, 31.5% - a zone in the central region of the country, vast high-altitude plateaus and steep canyons. The further east into the mountains, the more the temperature drops. In the period June-August, the average daytime temperature is +16-18°C, at night - from +6 to -2°C. The period April-October is the dry season, the rest of the time there is a large amount of precipitation.

The mysterious (city) is a popular tourist route here, in addition, obligatory item for all tourists visiting the country, is the famous one, the crown of which is the “city of the sun” Machu Picchu.

Selva: jungle, 58% - area moist forests in the northeast of the country. The Selva is always humid and hot. In winter, the air warms up to +30°C during the day, and drops to +20°C at night.

The interest of travelers in this area is represented by many National parks, such as Otisi, Madre de Dios, Bauaja, Sierra Del Divisor etc.

Hotels and their prices in winter

During the "high" season, housing prices in Peru increase significantly, and even several times during national holidays and international festivals. This is due to the vacation seasons of the Peruvians themselves, and the influx of a large number of tourists (according to statistics, primarily from the USA and). In spite of big choice hotels, guest houses and hostels in major tourist centers, going to Peru in winter, you need to take care of the reservation in advance.

Average checks in restaurants and cafes, as well as fares in public and intercity transport in holidays also increase, usually by 30-50%.

Holiday calendar in Peru in winter

June:

• Last Thursday of June: The Corpus Christi festival in the city is the most important religious festival in the city. A colorful mass procession begins here on Wednesday.
• June 24: Inti Raymi Sun Festival is the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Every year this festival attracts thousands of tourists to the ancient capital - Cusco.
• June 24: Feast of St. John (Fiesta de San Juan) - an analogue of the Slavic Ivan Kupala, is celebrated in most Catholic countries, including throughout South America.

July:

• Second week of July (15-16): Virgen del Carmen is a big Catholic holiday dedicated to the worship of Our Lady of Virgen del Carmen or Nuestra Señora del Carmen (analogue of the Virgin Mary), which in Peru is considered the Patroness of the capital.
• July 28 - 29: National festivities, marked by the proclamation of Independence in 1821 by the general. These days, a series of colorful celebrations are held throughout the country, for example, traditional rituals, which are an installation of the struggle between the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors (Yawar Fiesta). There is a grand military parade in Lima, as well as a special mass in the central Cathedral.

August:

• August 15: Anniversary of the founding of the city (1540) - already a week before this date, the city is replete with a variety of cultural events: fairs, craft exhibitions, dance and song festivals, etc. The week ends with a stormy celebration that begins on the night of the 14th to the 15th and lasts all night.
• August 25-30: Anniversary (tourist) week of the city of Oxapampa - various gastronomic fairs, fireworks, exhibitions and competitions are held, the main of which is the selection of the Queen of the Anniversary Week.
• August 30: On this day, the Peruvians pay tribute to Rose of Lim(Santa Rosa de Lima) - the first Catholic saint of Latin America, the patroness of Peru and all South America. This day is a public holiday throughout the country.

Peru is a country in South America. It borders Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, and Bolivia and Chile to the southeast. Washed in the west Pacific Ocean. Area - 1,285,220 sq. km. The total length of the border is 5536 km (the length of the borders with Bolivia is 900 km, with Brazil - 1560 km, with Chile - 160 km, with Colombia - 1496 km, with Ecuador - 1420 km). Coastline length: 2414 km.

Administrative-territorial division of Peru: 25 departments. The capital of Peru is Lima. The head of state is the president. The legislative body of Peru is the Democratic Constituent Congress.

According to natural conditions, Peru is divided into three zones: coastal (Costa) - 12% of the territory, mountainous (Sierra) - 27%, wooded (Selva) - 61% of the territory. They are divided into regions: the northern part of the Costa is formed by the Sechura desert; the central and southern parts stretch in a narrow arid ribbon (up to 80 km) between the Coastal Cordillera and the ocean; the mountainous country begins with the Condor Cordillera.

Relief and minerals

A mountainous republic on the Pacific coast of South America. The narrow coastal lowlands have a dry climate. From north to south, 3 Andes mountain ranges stretch across the country - an area prone to earthquakes. In the west of Peru, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, there is a narrow strip of desert coastal plains (Costa). To the east - the mountain belt of the Andes (Sierra). To the east is Amazonian lowland. (Selva), passing in the south into the foothill plain (Montagna).

Western Cordillera (altitude over 6 thousand m) is replete with volcanoes: active - Soliman (6117 m), Misti (5821 m), etc.; extinct - Huaskaran (6768 m), Koropuna (6425 m), Ausangate (6384 m), etc.

Intermountain plateaus and plateaus with a height of 3000-4000 m in the south form a large semi-desert plateau - Punu. Here, in the south, the Altiplano intermountain depression stands out with the high-altitude lake Titicaca (Peru owns only the western part of the lake). In the northern part of the Costa there are many short rivers flowing into the ocean (Pyura, Santa, Tumbes, Chira). In Pune, the inland flow basin of Lake Titika-ka stands out. Most of the Sierra and Selva rivers are part of the Amazon river system, its main source is the Maran-on River, along with its tributaries Hualyagoy and Ucayali.

Within the country, from west to east, three large natural areas are distinguished: 1) Costa - the coastal desert, 2) Sierra - the highlands of the Andes and 3) Selva - the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent plains of the Amazon basin.

The coastal desert - Costa, stretching in a narrow indented strip along the entire Peruvian coast (for 2270 km), is the northern continuation of the Chilean Atacama Desert. In the north, between the cities of Piura and Chiclayo, the desert occupies a wide lowland, the surface of which is occupied mainly by mobile sand dunes. Further south, in the section from Chiclayo to Pisco, the steep slopes of the Andes rise to the ocean itself. Near Pisco, several merged alluvial fans form a narrow lowland of irregular shape, in some places partitioned off by mountain spurs. Even further south, near the coast, a low mountain range rises, reaching about 900 m above sea level. To the east of it stretches a deeply dissected rocky surface, gradually rising to the foot of the Andes. Most of the Costa is so arid that of the 52 rivers flowing westward from the slopes of the Andes, only 10 carry their waters to the ocean. The coast is the economically most important region of Peru. The region's 40 oases produce most of the most important agricultural crops, including those for export. On the coast there are also a number of major cities - Lima, Callao, Chiclayo and Trujillo.

Andean highlands - Sierra. The Peruvian Andes, reaching 320 km wide, occupy more than a third of the country's area; their peaks reach a height of 5500 m above sea level. Numerous mountain ranges stretch approximately from northwest to southeast. Ten peaks rise above 6100 m, and the highest of them - Huascaran - reaches 6768 m. In the southern part there are volcanoes, the most famous of them is Misti Cone (5822 m) towering over the city of Arequipa. The eastern slopes of the Andes, on which heavy rains fall, are dissected by deeply incised river valleys and form a chaotic heap of sharp ridges, alternating with canyons up to 3000 m deep; several large tributaries of the Amazon River originate here. This region of sharply and deeply dissected relief presents the greatest difficulty in crossing the Andes. Indians live here, using narrow strips of fertile land for crops on the bottoms of river valleys and in the lower parts of the slopes. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, at around 3812 m above sea level, there is an alpine lake Titicaca; this is the largest of the alpine lakes with an area of ​​8446 sq. km. km, 59% of its water area is located in Peru.

The soils of the Costa and the western slopes of the Andes are infertile. AT mountainous area in the north and east, mountain-steppe soils predominate, in the southeast - characteristic of semi-deserts.

Selva includes the lower part of the eastern slopes of the Andes and the flat plains of the Amazon basin adjacent to them. This area covers more than half total area countries. The plain is covered with dense and tall tropical rain forests, and the only means of communication here are major rivers- They told me upstream Amazon, which bears the name Marañon here, and Napo. The main economic center of the region is Iquitos, located on the river. Amazon; this is the highest point that river steamers with a draft of more than 4 m can reach.

Peru has always stood out for its wealth of minerals, especially gold, silver, copper mines, reserves iron ore, mercury, tungsten, manganese. There are salt mines, coal deposits. Guano reserves are depleted.

Climate of Peru

The average temperature on the coast of Peru ranges from + 14°C to + 27°C, with precipitation up to 3000 mm per year, while in the highlands or in the sierra it is usually cool, sunny and dry for most of the year. The average temperature here varies from + 9°С to + 18°С. From December to May in the Sierra, the rainy season, precipitation falls from 700 to 1000 mm per year. The jungle is hot and humid, +25-28°C. Lima suffers from garua, a dense, damp fog that envelops the entire city even in winter.

Coastal desert. It is very dry and cool on the ocean coast due to the cold Peruvian Current (Humboldt Current) passing nearby. Sea breezes keep the average temperature 6°C below the latitudinal norm. In Lima, it ranges from 16 to 23 ° C. The statistical annual rainfall here is 50 mm, but in some years it does not rain at all. In winter (from June to October) the sky is constantly covered with clouds, coastal fogs are frequent. At this time of the year, the foothills of the Andes are shrouded in a damp haze, locally called "garua". Garua stimulates the growth of low grasses and forb ephemerals, which together make up a community called "loma" and used as pasture.

Highlands of the Andes. Climatic conditions and the vegetative cover of the mountains vary depending on the absolute height. Average temperatures drop by about 1.7°C every 450 m rise. Perpetual snow and glaciers cover the peaks above 5000 m a.s.l., and agriculture is possible up to 4400 m a.s.l. Average temperatures in Cusco (3380 m above sea level) fluctuate over the years from 8 to 11 ° C, frosts often occur at night. On the open eastern slopes, the annual rainfall exceeds 2500 mm, in closed basins it is much less, amounting, for example, in Cuzco, 810 mm.

The amount of precipitation decreases rapidly towards the south, which greatly affects the nature of the vegetation. In the north and east of the country, the middle part of the Andean slopes is covered with a dense subtropical mountain forest, which gradually gives way to a more temperate forest with height. climatic type, called ceja de la montaña ("eyebrow of the mountain"), or simply "seja". Among its species, the cinchona tree, the source of quinine, is of the greatest value. In the south, the alpine vegetation is formed mainly by drought-resistant feather grass, short grasses and the resinous shrub lepidophyllum (this community is called "tola"). The bottom and lower parts of the slopes of dry closed valleys are occupied by cacti, thorny legumes and deciduous broad-leaved trees, while the upper part of the slopes is covered by "sekha".

Selva. In the zone of humid tropical forests, the temperature is high all year round, and heavy rains fall. In Iquitos, the average temperature of the coldest month is 23°C and the hottest is only 26°C, with an annual rainfall of 2615 mm. natural vegetation represented by high-stemmed rain tropical forest, under the canopy of which a dense shadow practically does not allow the ground layer to develop. Out of thousands tree species greatest economic importance have acajou (mahogany) and zedrel. Grasses grow on poorly drained areas, while stiff grasses and low shrubs grow on loose sandy soils and rocky slopes.

Fauna of Peru

The fauna of Costa on land is scarce. Of the representatives of the animal world, the jaguar, puma, llama, monkeys, anteater, sloth, tapir, chinchilla, armadillo, crocodile, a large number of birds, snakes, lizards and insects live on the territory of Peru. The world of sea birds is abundant on the islands and the water kingdom is rich (mollusks , shrimps, different types fish, especially anchovies). In the Sierra, there are representatives of the genus of llamas - guanaco and vicuña, many birds. Lake Titicaca abounds in fish (especially trout). Peccaries, tapirs, anteaters, many monkeys, especially many birds (toucans, parrots, hummingbirds), reptiles and insects are found in the Selva.

Presented in Selva tropical fauna, which includes many species of birds, reptiles and mammals, while in the Andes the main animals are llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos. Among the rodents of the highlands there are viscacha and chinchilla. In the cold waters surrounding the coastal desert, abundant plankton provide food for many species. commercial fish, including tuna, bonito, swordfish, mackerel, croaker and stone bass. Sea fish feed on millions of local birds, including pelicans, cormorants and boobies. They nest on rocky islands, and their faeces, which are well preserved in an arid climate, are used as fertilizer - the so-called. guano. The fragile ecological balance of coastal communities is periodically disturbed by the intrusion of warm equatorial waters pushing back the Peruvian current. This phenomenon is called El Niño. It causes the migration of plankton and fish, as a result of which many birds die of starvation. At the same time, huge clouds form over the ocean, pouring rain over the desert.

Population of Peru

Ethnicity and language. About a hundred Indian tribes live in the rainforests of eastern Peru. These tribes, practically isolated from the rest of the population, speak local dialects and earn their living by hunting, fishing and farming. Another indigenous group includes the Quechua and Aymara Indians. Many of them moved to the capital of the country - Lima and other cities on the coast, especially after the 1980s broke out in the mountains guerrilla war, but the majority continues to live in the Andes, being engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The rest of the population is made up of Creoles - white descendants of Europeans, mostly Spaniards, who practically dominated the country until the 1970s; mestizos - descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans and Indians, who make up the bulk of the middle class, as well as a certain number of blacks and immigrants from Asia.

According to a 2003 estimate, the population of Peru was 28.40 million. By 2003, the population increased by an average of 1.61% annually. It is expected that by 2005 the population will be approximately 28,659 thousand people. The birth rate is estimated at 22.81 per 1,000 inhabitants and the death rate at 5.69 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The average life expectancy in Peru is 68.45 for men and 73.43 for women. Once a predominantly rural country, it quickly urbanized, so that in 1997 more than 70% of its inhabitants lived in cities. Approximately 60% of the population is concentrated in the coastal zone, which makes up only 11% of the territory of Peru; it is here that the main centers of the political and economic life of the country are located. About 30% of Peruvians live in the mountains, 10% in the Amazonian Selva.

Peruvian cities are expanding rapidly as settlers and refugees from the highlands settle on the outskirts of Lima and other centers. There they build shelters, build houses and form the so-called "young cities". The largest city of Peru - Lima, the capital of the country and its administrative, financial and cultural center, has a population (according to a 1997 estimate) of 5,659 thousand people. major cities are also Arequipa (634 thousand people) in the south of the country; Trujillo (532 thousand), Callao (515 thousand), Chiclayo (426 thousand), Piura (324 thousand) and Chimbote (296 thousand) in the northern and central part of the coast; Cusco (275 thousand) in the south of the Andes mountain region; and Iquitos (269 thousand) upper Amazon(All of the above urban population estimates, with the exception of Lima, are for 1993).

About 90% of the population formally belong to the Roman Catholic Church, although the majority attend only occasional services or do not perform rituals at all and are more committed to traditional folk beliefs. Catholic clergy receive a small annual allowance from the state. In 1979, a concordat was signed between the Vatican and the Peruvian government, which secured the separation of church and state and proclaimed freedom of religion. AT recent times the number of Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals has increased, but they make up no more than 6% of the population.