Location: Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile and Ecuador

Map references: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 1,285,220 sq km
land area: 1.28 million sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries: total 6,940 km, Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

Coastline: 2,414 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

International disputes: three sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute

Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west

Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash

Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 21%
forest and woodland: 55%
other: 21%

Irrigated land: 12,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
natural hazards: subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity
international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Tropical Timber

Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia

NOTE: The information regarding Peru on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Peru Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Peru Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.