Geography of Peru
Peru is considered a huge nation due to its total area. Its total land area is 1,285,216 km² (about 496,222 mi²). The continental shelf of Peru is approximately 82,000 km² (approximately 31,660 mi²). Peru is in South America. The vast majority of South American citizens speak Spanish or Portuguese. South American countries include Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Peru has 5 neighboring countries. Its neighbors include Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador. Peru is not a landlocked country. It means it is bounded by at least one major body of water. The average altitude range of Peru is 1,555 m (5,102 ft).
Neighbors
The total length of land borders of Peru is 7062 kilometers (~2,727 miles). Peru shares its land borders with 5 different countries and has the same number of unique land borders with neighboring territories. If, as in the case of Peru, a country has the same number of distinct neighboring regions as land borders, then that country does not have non-contiguous portions of a land border. This is in contrast to several countries that have multiple non-contiguous stretches of land borders. Peru has 5 neighboring countries. Its neighbors include Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. The lengths of land borders of Peru with its neighboring countries are as follows:
Bolivia – 900 km (559 mi),
Brazil – 1560 km (970 mi),
Chile – 160 km (99 miles),
Colombia – 1496 km (930 mi),
Ecuador – 1420 km (883 miles).
Cities
The capital of Peru is Lima. The largest city in Peru is Lima.
Elevation
The average altitude range of Peru is 1,555 m (5,102 ft). The highest point in Peru is Huascarán with an official elevation of 6768 m (22,206 ft). The lowest point in Peru is the Bayóvar Depression. It is at -34 m (-112 ft), i.e. below sea level. The difference in elevation between the highest (Huascarán) and lowest (Bayóvar Depression) points in Peru is 6802 m (2 ft).
Area
The total land area of Peru is 1,285,216 km² (about 496,222 mi²). and the total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is 906,454 km² (~349,982 mi²). The continental shelf of Peru is approximately 82,000 km² (about 31,660 mi²). Including the landmass and the EEZ, the total area of Peru is approximately 2,191,670 km² (~846,205 mi²). Peru is considered a huge nation due to its total area.
Forest and farmland
687,420 km² of Peru’s territory is covered with forests, and forest cover accounts for 53% of the country’s total land area. There are 28,800 km² of arable land in Peru, which makes up 2% of the country’s total area.
