Peru
| Peru | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom of Peru | |
| Reino del Perú | |
| Capital | Cusco |
| Largest City | Lima |
Peru; Spanish: Perú; Quechua: Piruw; Aymara: Piruw, officially the Kingdom of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the south by Chile and Carolina, in the north by Colombia and to the east by Brazil, Equador and Paraguay. Peru is a megadiverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains, to the eastern lowlands, to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest.
The area that is now Peru was home to many ancient civilizations including the Inca empire and the Norte Chico civilization. The countries population is multiethnic including native Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. Dozens of indigenous languages are spoken in Peru with standardized Peruvian Quechua having co-official status with Spanish and Aymara and Guarani having regional official status in certain provinces.
The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a viceroyalty that encompassed most of its South American territories, with its capital in Lima. Peru formally proclaimed independence in 1875, and following the Communard invasion of Spain with former viceroy José Mateo Pérez de Avilés and the decisive battle of Ayacucho, Peru completed its independence in 1824.
