Peru
A Nation of History
Peru
World Geography
11/08/14
Political Map of Peru
Physical Map of Peru
Why Visit Peru?
Religion
- The Roman Catholic
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Hare Krishna
- The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints
- Judaism
- Islam
- Buddhism
While there are many different religious followings in this nation, approximately 80% of the population refers to Roman Catholicism as their religion.
Language
The official languages of Peru include:
- The Aymara language
- Quechua
- Spanish
Hello in Spanish: Hola!
Hello in Quechua: Rimaykullayki
People of Peru
Mestizos make up 47% of Peru's population
Amerindians make up about 31% of Peru's population
European descendants compose about 19% of Peru's population
The rest of the population is mainly composed of Afro-Peruvians
Customs and Traditions
Culture plays a huge role in present day Peru just as much as it did in it's rich history.
Peru's Independence holiday is celebrated on July 28th and 29th. One tradition and way of celebrating this day is done by the president presenting a speech on the progress of the country on the 28th of July.
The Inti Raymi is one very large festival in Peru honoring the Sun, who played a major role in ancient Peruvians' lives.
One popular dance in Peru is the Marinera NorteƱa, a representation of a man courting a young woman. Tarkada is another dance performed in the Tacna region of Peru.
Peruvian music has played a major part in the culture and history of the nation. The music of Peru is influenced by African, Andean, and Spanish roots.
The food of Peru is quite diverse, stemming from Ocopa, a dish consisting of sliced and boiled potatoes lathered in sauce made of chili pepper and the Peruvian herb huacatay, cheese, lettuce, and ground-up peanuts to ostrich meat.
Economy
Nearly 80% of Peruvians are employed. Many citizens of Peru choose to support themselves via the agricultural industry, by either farming on a low or large scale.
Some popular occupational areas include:
Accounting
Administration
Construction
Economics
Engineering
Law
Marketing and communications
Textile manufacturing
Tourism
Holidays and Festivals
Peru has a total of nine official National Holidays.
These holidays are:
- New Year's Day: Peruvians celebrate the new year on January 1st
- Labor Day: Peru honors its workforce on May 1st
- Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's Day: Peruvians honor Saints Peter and Paul on June 29th
- Independence Day: Peru celebrates its independence from Spain on July 28th
- Saint Rosa of Lima Day: Peruvians honor Saint Rosa on August 30th
- Angamos Battle: A commemorative day for those who lost their lives in the Angamos Battle. Peruvians celebrate this holiday on October 8th
- All Saints' Day: Peruvians celebrate all Saints on November 1st
- Immaculate Conception: Celebrated by Catholics on December 8th
- Christmas: They celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th
The Inti Raymi is a large festival celebrated in Peru at the Ruins of Sacsahuaman, honoring the Sun, a vital God in ancient Incan culture. One other large festival is the festival of Corpus Christi, which was once celebrated nationwide.