A Little Bit O' Peruvian History

It is hard to believe how much time has quickly passed this month!  Real estate has been super busy and I have been much more lax at researching for my upcoming trip than I had hoped.  However I did get a chance to pop onto Wikipedia today and grab a little blurb about the general history of Peru which I will insert here.  I promise I won't post large portions of history but this is a good general overview to start everyone off with.

Looks like I will be booking my flight this week.  Wow, it is gonna be a long one folks!!  Anyone have friends in Miami who would like to cart me around to see the city a bit and grab some excellent cuban food during my 13 hour layover?  Right now it looks like CheapO Air has the best deal.

That's all for now I will keep everyone posted and hope to see you Wednesday, March 31st from 5-7pm at Preservation Pub!!

Peru

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the country. For other uses, see Peru (disambiguation).

Republic of Peru República del Perú  (Spanish) Piruw Republika  (Quechua) Piruw Suyu  (Aymara)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Himno Nacional del Perú"  (Spanish) "National Anthem of Peru"
National seal: Gran Sello del Estado  (Spanish) "Great Seal of the State"
Capital (and largest city)		Lima 12°2.6′S 77°1.7′W
Official language(s)		Spanish1
Ethnic groups		45% Amerindian, 37%Mestizo, 15% White, 3%Black, Asian[1]
Demonym		Peruvian
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Alan García
-	Vice President	Luis Giampietri
-	Prime Minister	Javier Velásquez
-	President of Congress	Luis Alva Castro
Independence		from Spain
-	Declared	July 28, 1821
-	Consolidated	December 9, 1824
-	Recognized	August 14, 1879
Area
-	Total	1,285,216 km2 (20th) 496,225 sq mi
-	Water (%)	8.8
Population
-	30 June 2009 estimate	29,132,013[2]
-	2007 census	28,220,764
-	Density	22/km2 (193rd) 57/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$272.560 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$9,223[3]
GDP (nominal)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$139.502 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$4,720[3]
Gini (2008)		▼ 47.9 (high)
HDI (2007)		▲0.806 (high) (78th)
Currency		Nuevo Sol (PEN)
Time zone		PET (UTC-5)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC)
Drives on the		right
Internet TLD		.pe
Calling code		+51
1	Quechua, Aymara and other indigenous languages are co-official in the areas where they are predominant.

Peru (Spanish: Perú, Quechua: Piruw, Aymara: Piruw), officially the Republic of Peru (Spanish: República del Perú, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðel peˈɾu]  ( listen)), is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing.

Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 36%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles.

The Peruvian population, estimated at 29 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.