Peru is a country in South America that's home to a section of Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city high in the Andes mountains. The region around Machu Picchu, including the Sacred Valley, Inca Trail and colonial city of Cusco, is rich in archaeological sites. On Peru’s arid Pacific coast is Lima, the capital, with a preserved colonial center and important collections of pre-Columbian art.
Contact us to organise your own private group of 15 volunteers where we spend 5 days helping to build a home for a family currently living in structures made of reed panels, which are flimsy and lack privacy just outside of Lima. Lima provides the perfect launch pad for your own onward travels to walk the Inca Trail, visit Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Amazon, or for further travel in South America.
| Population | 33.72 million (2021) |
| Border Countries | Ecuador and Colombia to the north, with Chile to the south and with Brazil and Bolivia to the east |
| Capital City | Lima |
| Currency | sol (S/) |
| Language | Around 84% of Peruvians speak Spanish, the official national language |
| Religion | Catholic 69.4%, Evangelical 17%, Other Christian 2.7% |
| Type of Government | Presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system |
| % living in poverty | 33.7% of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2021 |
| Life Expectancy | Male: 70.12 years and Female: 74.75 years |
| Infectious Diseases | Diphtheria (2020), measles (2018–2019), and varicella (endemic) |
| Top Killers | Covid 19, Influenza, pneumonia and Ischemic heart disease was the second major cause of death (2020) |
| Literacy | Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and older) 99.26% (2021) |
| Natural Resources | Gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, and iron are found across the country, and there are reserves of oil and natural gas. |
| Agriculture | Avocado, blueberries, artichokes, and asparagus, coffee and cocoa |
| Industry | Peru is among the global leaders in the production of lead, copper, gold, and zinc, Fishing and Tourism |
| Exports | Copper, gold, zinc, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, manufactures, machinery, services and fish meal |
