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PERU
Peru is
in western South America and shares borders with Chile (to
the south), Bolivia (southeast), Brazil (northeast), Colombia
(north)
and Ecuador (northwest). It has three major regions: a
narrow
coastal belt, the wide Andean mountains and the Amazon
Basin.
The coastal strip is predominantly desert, but contains
Peru's
major cities and its best highway, the Carretera
Panamericana.
The Andes
comprise two principal ranges -Cordillera
Occidental and Oriental - and includes Huascarán
(6770m/22,200ft), Peru's highest mountain. To the east
is the
Amazon Basin, a region of tropical lowland, which is drained
by
the Maranon and Ucayali rivers. Bird and marine life is abundant
along
Peru's desert coast, with colonies of sea lion, the Humboldt
penguin, Chilean flamingo, Peruvian pelican, Inca tern and
the
brown booby endemic to the region. Common highland birds
include the Andean condor, puna ibis and a variety of hummingbird.
The highlands
are also home to cameloids such as the llama,
alpaca, guanaco and vicuña, while the eastern slopes
of the
Andes are the haunts of jaguars, spectacled bears and tapirs.
Peru's flora contains a number of hardy and unique plants,
including patches of Polylepis woodland found at extreme heights.
The vast wealth of wildlife is protected in a system of national
parks and reserves with almost 30 areas covering nearly 7%
of
the country. Peru's climate can be divided into two seasons
-
wet and dry - though this varies, depending on the geographical
region.
The
coast and western Andean slopes are generally dry, with the
summer falling between December and April; during the rest
of the
year, the garúa (coastal fog) moves in and the sun
is rarely seen.
In the Andes, the dry season is from May to September, while
the
wet season takes up the remainder of the year. On the eastern
slopes of the Andes, the drier months are similar to the highlands,
though the wet season (January to April) is more pronounced.
PERU
VACATION TOURS
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Nature
and Wildlife Vacations
Religion
and Spirituality Tours
Trekking in Incan Footsteps for women
Machu Picchu Sun Rise & Colca Canyon
Inca Trail to Machu Piccu
Inca Laqqta
Peru and Bolivia Jungle Tour
Marvles of Peru
Inca's Legacy
The Classi Peru Luxury Tours
Machu Piccu and Amazon Forest
Peru Total Adventure Tour
Vacation
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