Geography

At 1,285,220 sq km (496,193 sq mi), Peru is the world's twentieth-largest country (after Mongolia). It slightly more than twice the size of France and nearly 10 times the size of England.

Peru is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia on the north; Brazil and Bolivia to the east; and Chile and Bolivia to the south. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean.

Eastern Peru consists mostly of the moist tropical jungles of the Amazon Rainforest, the largest on Earth. In the southeast along the border with Bolivia lies Lake Titicaca - the highest navigable lake in the world. The Altiplano plateau is a dry basin located along the slopes of the Andes in southeastern Peru. Along the border with Chile, the Atacama Desert is the driest place on the planet. A remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

The main rivers of Peru include the Ucayali, Marañón, Amazon (which is formed by the confluence of the Marañón and the Ucayali), Putumayo, Pastaza, Napo, Jurua, and the Purus. The Peruvian Sea is home to a large amount and variety of fish life. The Sechura Desert is located in northwestern Peru along the Pacific coastline.

Facts and Figures

• Location: Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
• Geographic Coordinates: 10 00 S, 76 00 W
• Area:
  • Total: 1,285,220 sq km
  • Land: 1.28 million sq km
  • Water: 5,220 sq km
• Land Boundaries: Total: 7,461 km
• Border Countries:
  • Bolivia 1,075 km
  • Brazil 2,995 km
  • Chile 171 km
  • Colombia 1,800 km
  • Ecuador 1,420 km
• Coastline: 2,414 km
• Maritime Claims:
  • Territorial sea: 200 nm
  • Continental shelf: 200 nm
• Climate: Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
• Terrain: Western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
• Elevation Extremes:
  • Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  • Highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
• Natural Resources:
  • Copper
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Petroleum
  • Timber
  • Fish
  • Iron Ore
  • Coal
  • Phosphate
  • Potash
  • Hydropower
  • Natural gas
• Land Use:
  • Arable land: 2.88%
  • Permanent crops: 0.47%
  • Other: 96.65%
• Irrigated Land: 12,000 sq km
• Natural Hazards:
  • Earthquakes
  • Tsunamis
  • Flooding
  • Landslides
  • Mild volcanic activity
• Environmental Issues:
  • Deforestation (some the result of illegal logging)
  • Overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion
  • Desertification
  • Air pollution in Lima
  • Pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes