Peru inspires deep respect: for its dramatic, engrossing history (palpable at every turn), its stupendous mountains (offering some of the best trekking on earth), its lush Amazonian jungles, and for its tenacious Andean culture (on proud display at and around Machu Picchu, the astounding pinnacle of a lost, but not forgotten civilization).

• TOTAL AREA: 1,285,220 sq km

• LAND AREA: 1.28 million sq km

• WATER AREA: 5,220 sq km

• POPULATION: 28,302,603

• RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3%

• LANGUAGES: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Constitutional Republic

• CAPITAL CITY: Lima

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: nuevo sol (PEN)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC -5