Peru

The Andes cradled some of the oldest civilisations in the Americas, from Caral, among the earliest cities anywhere, to the Moche and Nazca. These culminated in the Inca Empire, the largest state in the pre-Columbian Americas, ruled from Cusco and famous for its stonework, road network, and terraced agriculture. In 1532 a small Spanish force under Francisco Pizarro captured and executed the Inca ruler Atahualpa, beginning Spanish colonial rule that lasted until independence in the 1820s.

Inca tradition told that the first ruler, Manco Capac, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca, sent by the sun god to found Cusco and civilise the people. The legend gave the empire's rulers divine authority and a sacred origin. As history, the tale belongs to myth rather than the documented record, but the empire it explains was thoroughly real, and its monuments and roads still cross the Andes.

Peru divides into three great regions: a narrow desert coast where the capital Lima sits, the towering Andes mountains running down the spine of the country, and the lush Amazon lowlands to the east. This range of altitude and climate, from sea level to peaks above six thousand metres, packs an enormous diversity of life and landscape into one nation. Lake Titicaca, the highest large navigable lake in the world, lies on its southern border.

The flag of Peru has three vertical bands, red on the outer edges and white in the centre. By tradition the design was inspired by red and white flamingos seen by the independence leader San Martin. Red is associated with the blood of those who fought for freedom and white with peace; the state version of the flag adds the national coat of arms, which features a vicuna, a cinchona tree, and a cornucopia.

The great majority of Peruvians are Roman Catholic, a faith brought by the Spanish, though Protestant churches have grown in recent decades. As across the Andes, Catholic practice is often blended with older Indigenous beliefs, honouring the earth mother Pachamama and the spirits of the mountains alongside Christian saints. Festivals frequently weave the two traditions together, producing a religious life that is distinctly Peruvian.

Peruvian cuisine has won global acclaim as one of the most exciting in the world. Its signature dish is ceviche, raw fish cured in citrus juice with chili and onion. The country is the original home of the potato, growing thousands of varieties, along with maize and the nutritious grain quinoa. Fusion traditions are central too, including Nikkei cooking, which blends Japanese technique with Peruvian ingredients, the legacy of Japanese immigration.

Peru is a centre of agricultural origins, the birthplace of the potato and a homeland of many crops that spread around the world. Andean farmers still grow a remarkable diversity of potatoes, maize, and quinoa on terraced mountain fields. Modern Peru has also become a major exporter of asparagus, avocados, blueberries, grapes, and coffee, much of it grown on the irrigated coast. Fishing off the cold, rich Pacific waters is another pillar of the economy.

The rise of the Inca Empire and its sudden fall to a handful of Spanish conquistadors are among the most dramatic episodes in world history. Independence was sealed in the 1820s with the campaigns of liberators including San Martin and the decisive Battle of Ayacucho. In the modern era the rediscovery of Machu Picchu drew the world's attention, and the citadel has become one of the most famous archaeological sites on Earth.

Peru has a population of around 34 million people. It is one of the most Indigenous countries in the Americas, with large Quechua and Aymara populations whose languages are official alongside Spanish, together with people of mixed and European descent and communities of African and Asian origin. Most Peruvians now live on the coast, above all in the sprawling capital Lima, though the Andean highlands remain the cultural heartland.