Peru is great...

...because...

Pisco is Peruvian
Ceviche is Peruvian
Chirimoya is Peruvian
Guanábana is Peruvian
Lúcuma is Peruvian
Granadilla is Peruvian
The alpaca is Peruvian
The vicuña is Peruvian
The Paso horse is Peruvian

Machu Picchu is one of the new 7 World Wonders

Huacachina (between Pisco and Nazca) is the only Oasis you will find in America; a great relaxation spot and ideal for travellers.

Quinua, a high protein grain, is Peruvian. There are more than 25 Varieties. Olluco is Peruvian. There are more than 30 varieties.

The potato is Peruvian and there are more than 2,000 different varieties.

The maize with the largest, most tender kernels in the world is Peruvian. There are 32 known varieties.

Mummy Juanita, better known as “The Ice Maiden”, was chosen as one of the World’s top 10 discoveries in 1995 by Time Magazine...and is found in Peru.

The Peruvian avocado is the mildest in the world.

Peru has the largest variety of dishes in the world with 468 unique dishes (Guinness Book of World Records).

The finest cotton in the world is Peruvian (Pima and Tanguis).

The weeping willow tree is Peruvian and contains a component that is the base for aspirin.

Yacón, a root vegetable similar to yucca from which insulin is extracted for industrial production, is Peruvian.

The highest standard gauge railroad in the world ( Ticlio-4,815 a.s.l. ) is found in Peru.

The Anticona Pass is at 15,800 ft. above sea level.

The deepest canyons in the world; Cothuasi, 3,600 ma.s.l.( 11,811 ft. above sea level), and the Colca, 3,400 m.a.s.l. ( 11,155 f.a.s.l.) are in Peru.

The University of San Marcos ( Est. 1551), located in Lima, is the oldest university in the Americas.

In Peru there are more than 50 mountains over 6,000 m.s.n.m.(19,685 ft.)

There are 1,769 glaciers.

Peru has 262 hydrographical basins.

It`s territory has 12,000 lakes of different sizes and depths. 3,986 belong to the Pacific outlet. 7,441 pertain to the Atlantic outlet. 841 in the Lake Titicaca area.

With over 1,701 different varieties of birds, Peru is the country with the largest variety of birds in the world.

Peru is the second country in the world in variety of primates with 34 species.

Peru is third in mammals with 361 species.

It is 5th in reptiles with 297 species.

It is 5th in amphibians, with 251 species.

84 of the 103 ecological zones that exist in the world are in Peru.

The first genetic catalog of Peruvian flora contains more than 3,000 varieties of which 524 have been classified as edible; 401 as wood producing; 334 as toxic for the production of insecticides; 213 for medicinal purposes; 110 for the preparation of colorants and dyes; 100 for the production of tools; 90 for ornamental purposes; 36 for the preparation of oils and waxes; and 35 for the preparation of beverages.

In the Oriental Andes region one can find more than 3,000 varieties of different orchids of which 2,000 have been classified to date.

4 of the ten cereals that exist in the world are native to Peru. The quinoa, maize, cañihua, and kiwicha. The latter has been considered by NASA as an important element in the diet of the astronauts.

Peru is the leader in Latin America in the production of gold, lead, and zinc.

It is second in copper production in the world.

ANTAMINA is the largest mine in the world. It is in the central highlands of Peru.

The highest navigable lake in the world is LAKE TITICACA, which is shared by Peru and Bolivia.

28 different types of climate are found in Peru, placing it amongst the 5 world countries with the greatest biological diversity in the world.

Along Peru`s coast live 20 of the 67 species of lesser cetaceans, or whale related species.

The Peruvian ocean offers 700 different varieties of fish and 400 varieties of shellfish.

The Amazon River with a thousand tributaries and the largest basin in the world is also has the largest flow of water. It has its origin in Peru and is one of the two healthiest rivers on the planet Earth. It has an average flow of approximately 150,000 m3/sec.

Señor of Sipán is the oldest and most magnificent tomb found in the Americas; it is only comparable to that of Tutankamon in Egypt.

Caral, a recent discovery only 114 mi. north of Lima on the coast is the oldest civilization in the Americas and one of the oldest in the world, dating more than 3,000 B.C.