Sponsor with Compassion

Peru is a land divided into three distinct regions: the heavily populated coastal plain (costa); the Andes Mountains (sierra), where cattle and agriculture predominate; and the humid eastern lowlands (Amazonia), inhabited by isolated Indigenous tribes. Many travellers come from around the world to visit these diverse regions, to walk the Inca Trail and to see the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Peru is a highly urbanized country. Nearly half its residents are of Quechua descent, while the rest are mostly mestizo (mixed European and Indigenous) or Aymara. Since the economic liberalization of the 1990s, the country has grown steadily, becoming a middle-income economy with one of the fastest industrial growth rates in the world. Much of this is thanks to the explosion in commodities prices since the 2000s, as Peru is a major exporter of raw materials like metal ore. It is also the world's largest producer of quinoa.

When Spaniard Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru in 1532, the Incas ruled a vast empire rich in silver and gold. Torn at the time by fierce internal disputes, it was quickly conquered by the conquistadors. Spain ruled the area until 1821 when Peru won its independence. Further conflicts with Chile and Ecuador helped define its modern boundaries. Since its founding, Peru's government has alternated between military and civilian dictators and reform-minded leaders. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the country struggled with guerilla uprisings, inflation and political instability. In the 2000s, despite challenges and political scandals, the transfer of power between different civilian governments has been largely peaceful, and the country weathered the economic downturn of 2008 better than many others.