Short facts about the geography of Peru
| Location: |
Western South America, bordering the
South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
10 00 S, 76 00
W |
| Map
references: |
South
America |
| Area: |
total: 1,285,220 sq km
land: 1.28 million sq
km
water: 5,220 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller than
Alaska |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 5,536 km
border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560
km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental shelf:
200 NM
territorial sea: 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 |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures:
21%
forests and woodland: 66%
other: 10% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
12,800 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding,
landslides, mild volcanic activity |
| Environment
- current 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| Geography -
note: |
shares control of Lago Titicaca,
world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia | Source: World Factbook |
