It's the multiple layers of great civilizations which make Peru so intriguing. You can wander around colonial cities which have preserved the legacy of the Spanish conquistadors, visit the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, explore the lost city of Machu Picchu and ponder the enigma of the Nazca Lines.

It also has some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians who still speak the ancient tongue of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life.

You don't have to be in Peru too long to realize that the 'New World' had a rich and complex cultural life thousands of years before Pizarro turned up wearing funny clothing.

And then there's the natural world. The verdant Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots' - a species-rich area of tropical rain forest that will make your head spin when you start to learn about its ecology. And the coastal deserts, with their huge rolling dunes, farmland oases and fishing villages, are underappreciated by travelers but offer the opportunity to get off the Gringo Trail in a big way.
Warning

Peru continues to be the stage for the Shining Path movement's insurgency. Although acts of violence such as bombings sporadically target Lima and other urban centre, travelers are generally off the radar, although keeping abreast of latest developments is advised.

Insurgent activity is mostly concentrated in the more remote parts of the country that perhaps only mining engineers and adventure travelers would ever want to access. Lima and traditional tourist areas such as Cuzco and Machu Picchu are considered safe.

Areas where the government is conducting counter-insurgency campaigns have been designated 'emergency areas' and should not be entered. The Upper Huallaga Valley in the Amazon, home to drug barons and Shining Path guerrillas, is definitely off limits.

Full country name: Republic of Peru
Area: 1.28 million sq km
Population: 28 million
People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Language: Aymara, Quechua, Spanish; Castilian
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population
Government: constitutional republic
Head of State: President Alejandro Toledo
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Luis Solari

GDP: US$56,900000000
GDP per capita: US$2,060
Inflation: 2%
Major Industries: Pulp, paper, coca leaves, fishmeal, steel, chemicals, oil, minerals,cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding.
Major Trading Partners: USA, Japan, UK, China, Germany, Columbia.