Geography of Peru

The Geography of Peru

The geography of Peru is truly a wonder. When it comes to location, this country has it all! For nature fans, I can think of few places better than Peru to experience a wide range of climates and geographical features. How many places on earth can you trek through hot, humid jungles one day and cold, arid glaciers the next?

Peru is, of course, located in South America and is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Peru Geography Regions

Peru geography is broken up into three basic regions: the Amazon Basin, the coastal region, and the Andean mountain ranges. Each one has its own unique climate and supports a flora and fauna that you won’t find in any of the other areas. In a sense, the geography of Peru makes the country three different places in one.

First we’ll look at the Amazon Basin. This region of Peru lies between 260 and 1,300 feet above sea level.

The Amazon rainforest makes up about 60% of Peru’s territory and while much of the region is untouched, tourism is becoming quite popular here.

With temperatures in the low to mid 80’s and humidity over 75%, the Amazon Basin isn’t for the faint of heart, but those who are willing to live with a little discomfort will be rewarded with sightings of exotic animals and the opportunity to visit some native tribes.

The next stop on our journey of the geography of Peru is the Coastal region. This region lies between 0 and 1,650 feet above sea level and it’s where you’ll find over 50% of the country population. It’s in this area that you’ll find Peru’s capital, Lima.

While the humidity can be quite intense at levels approaching 90%, the temperature is much milder and ranges between 50 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, temperatures can vary between the northern, central, and southern coastal regions. In addition, the Coastal region tends to exhibit the more modern side of Peru as opposed to the traditional one seen in the Amazon Basin.

Finally we find ourselves at the Andean mountain ranges. This mountain range can reach an excess of 20,000 feet above sea level and is so vast that it can be divided into several sub-regions each with a different microclimate supporting a diverse array of flora and fauna.

This region is also where you’ll find some of the great reminisce of Peru’s past such as Machu Picchu. For travelers who want to immerse themselves in Peru’s culture and history, there’s no better place to go than the Andean mountain ranges.

The geography of Peru is diverse and with each new region comes another face of Peru. You could spend months exploring all of them. However like all good things, it’s best to take your time and choose one area to explore.

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