Peru is located in western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Chile. It is the third-largest country in South America, ranking it amongst the world’s 20 largest nations in geographic extension. Its population is estimated at approximately 29 million. The main spoken language is Spanish.

 

Peru is multiethnic with a broad mix of cultural traditions that have resulted in a diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.
   
Peru is a spectacle of the nature, is the first country in the world in variety of fish, butterflies and orchidssecond in birds, third in mammals and amphibians, fourth in biological diversity and fifth in plants and reptiles. It is also home to hundreds of archaeological sites like Machu Picchu, the most internationally tourist destination of Peru, and other popular ruins such as that of Chan Chan, Sipan, Kuelap, Nasca lines, Ollantaytambo, Caral and Sacsayhuaman. (Please see www.peru.info/perueng.asp for more information)

Peru’s economic performance is being sustained over the past decade, on the back of strong export growth, fiscal surpluses at record-high levels, and upbeat domestic demand.

 

 

The country’s capital is located, at sea level, in the central coast of Peru. Its population is estimated at about 9 million. Currently, Almost 20 airlines offering more than 40 daily flights link Lima to major cities in Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.

Lima provides visitors with access to all kinds of facilities and plenty of attractions: leading hotels, world-class restaurants, acclaimed museums, shopping centers, hot spots for adventure tourism and extraordinary archaeological monuments that ensure a pleasant and comfortable stay in the city.

 

 

In 1991 UNESCO declared Lima’s Historical Center as a World Cultural Heritage site, for its colonial architecture. Conference attendees and their companions will have the opportunity to experience the offerings of one of the most diverse countries worldwide and visit some exciting destinations, from pre-Columbian cities like Pachacamac, (15 miles south of Lima) to superb colonial architecture of mansions and churches that are loaded in history. Those who admire the remains of the past will find magnificent testimonies of various ancient civilizations, most notably the Inca’s Empire, Chavin, Moche and Nasca, which can be traced back to 3,000 years b.C.

 

The Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the most varied and original of the world, it has the Guinness record to the greater variety and typical plate diversity. Over 40,000 restaurants across the country reflect this diversity. It is also considered among the best in the world by internationally renowned food critics. In January 2006 during the Fourth International Summit of Gastronomy Madrid Fusion, held in Spain, Lima was declared the “Gastronomic Capital of the Americas”.

 

    

There will be multiple opportunities for the most demanding of palates to taste the variety and quality of the Peruvian cuisine, which is a unique blend of foods from various European, African, Asian and Andean cultures.

 

Local time zone is similar to that of New York (-5 hr GMT).

Lima enjoys a pleasant weather all year long. Even in August, the winter season, the average temperatures range from 58°F to 65°F. It almost never rains on the coast. In the summer (December-April), humidity decreases and temperatures fluctuate between 75°F and 84°F.

In the sierra -where Cusco is located- there is a dry season from May to October, plenty of sunny days, and a rainy season from December to March.

The average temperature and rainfall in the main cities are indicated below:

City	Temperatures (Min - Max)	Precipitation (Min - Max)
Arequipa	45° F - 70° F	0 mm - 40
Cuzco	32° F - 70° F	0.5 mm - 145 mm
Lima	58° F – 84° F	0 mm - 20 mm