Peru
Americas Β· Capital: Lima
How it is run: Peru is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Peru is home to 34.6 million people in South America, where people speak Aymara, Quechua, Spanish.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
34.6 million people
That is 0.4% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
1,285,216 kmΒ²
One of the world's large countries: flying across it takes hours.
ποΈ How crowded
About 27 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
7th most people in Americas
7th largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Peruvian sol (S/.)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
77.9 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$9,684
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
π’ Living in cities
85.6% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
23.6% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+51
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.pe
π§ People here are called
Peruvian
π·οΈ Name at home
Piruw Β· PerΓΊ
Also written: Republic of Peru, RepΓΊblica del PerΓΊ.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Latin American and Caribbean Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Peru touches 5 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
PerΓΊ
French
PΓ©rou
Arabic
Ψ¨ΩΨ±Ω
Chinese
η§ι²
Japanese
γγ«γΌ
Russian
ΠΠ΅ΡΡ
Portuguese
PerΓΊ
German
Peru
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 9.9Γ as many people as Peru.
- Peru covers roughly 12,240 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Peru lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 17,288 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Peru change.
Peruvian bicolour
Legend says red and white came from flamingos seen by liberator San MartΓn.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Peru is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
Republic of Peru
ποΈ Capital
Lima
π Region
Americas Β· South America
π€ Country code
PE
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Peru π
Machu Picchu
An Inca city built around 1450 on a ridge 2,430 m high. Its stones fit so tightly you cannot slide paper between them.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
10.0Β° S, 76.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Southern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-5 β when it is noon in London it is about 07:00 in Lima.
- Peru shares its part of the world with Ecuador. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Peru lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Peru sits in South America, in the southern and western half of the globe.
- Peru is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Peru is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Peru has 3 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Peru can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Peru spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Peru?
Lima
Which money do people spend in Peru?
Peruvian sol (S/.)
How many countries share a land border with Peru?
5 β Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador.
Roughly how many people live in Peru?
34.6 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.