"YEAR OF THE BICENTENNIAL OF PERU: 200 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE"

FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES

TITLE:
Geographical Features

PRESENTED BY:
*Maria July Soto Aviles
*Diego Xavier Saavedra Yactayo
*Jesus Alessandro Uchuya Mendoza
*Karla Patricia Vargas Jurado
*Mayra Estefany Yactayo Quiñonez
*Francciny Yarasca Huachua

TEACHER:
Enrique Manuel Hernandez Garcia

COURSE:
Ingles

ICA-PERÚ
2021

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 DEDICATION:
We dedicate this work mainly to God,
for being the inspirer and giving us
strength to continue in this learning
process, at the same time we dedicate
this work to all the people who bet on
us every day to achieve our goals.

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 Index
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 4

THE PERUVIAN COAST ................................................................................................................... 5

The Weather .............................................................................................................................. 6

THE PERUVIAN HIGHLANDS .......................................................................................................... 7

CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................. 7

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................... 8

THE PERUVIAN ANDES........................................................................................................ 9

THE PERUVIAN JUNGLE ............................................................................................................... 11

HIGH JUNGLE ....................................................................................................................... 11

THE LOW FOREST: .............................................................................................................. 12

THE PERUVIAN SEA...................................................................................................................... 13

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 16

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 INTRODUCTION

The Republic of Peru is a South American country located on the western side of South
America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the
southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Peru is the Latin American country with a great diversity of soils, landscapes and climates
that make it a very interesting destination when choosing a place to spend your vacations.
The three areas that stand out in this country are the coast, the mountains and the jungle.

Peru's climate in general is temperate and highly varied due to its vast geography. In
winter the rains are moderate and in summer the heat is not excessive, so you can enjoy
wonderful days throughout the year.

The coast has a generally hot and humid climate, the north from Piura becomes a tropical
climate, the mountains have a temperate climate, generally dry, and the jungle a typically
tropical, hot and rainy climate.
In Peru there are two official languages: Spanish and Quechua, which is spoken by 24%
of the population. Most of the people who speak Quechua are bilingual, with Spanish
being the second language. On the other hand, there are 55 other Amazonian languages
in the country, in addition to Aymara, which is spoken in the Altiplano.
The Peruvian currency is the nuevo sol and its symbol is S /. This is issued in bills of 10,
20, 50, 100 and 200 nuevos soles; in coins of 1,2 and 5 nuevos soles, and in 5, 10, 20 and
50 cents of nuevo sol.
Inside the airports there are banks and exchange boxes, where you can convert your
money into soles. Warning, when you receive your change, make sure the transaction was
correct.
The main tourist circuit in the country is the southern circuit, which includes cities such
as; Ica, Nazca, Paracas, Arequipa, Chiclayo (Señor de Sipan) Chivay, Iquitos, Trujillo,
Nazca, Puno, Cusco, with great architectural, cultural and natural attractions. This circuit
has currently been extended to the jungle of the Madre de Dios region where the Manú
National Park is an inescapable point of ecotourism. The second most important route is
the Callejón de Huaylas, in the Ancash region, home to adventure tourism (Huascarán
National Park) and the main point of reference for Novo Andean cuisine.

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 THE PERUVIAN COAST

The Coast of Peru, a country located in western South America, covers a narrow but long
territory (2,250 kilometers) facing the Pacific Ocean. It begins in Boca de Capones in the
town of Tumbes and reaches the border with La Concordia (Chile).

The altitude of the Peruvian coast or Chala, as it is also known, is around 500 meters
above sea level, having a width that varies between 40 and 170 kilometers.

It is one of the three traditional regions of Peru and has valleys (where agriculture is
developed), pampas, tablazos, depressions and cliffs in its relief.

The Coast is made up of a variety of landscapes such as: the valleys that in number of 53
cross it in a transversal way from East to West; the interfluvial deserts, located between
the valleys, include subscapes such as plains or pampas, hills and dry streams; the dry
forest of the northern coastal desert, which extends from the border with Ecuador to the
south of the department of Lambayeque; the mangrove ecosystem, small but unique of its
kind in Peru, located in the extreme north of the department of Tumbes; and the "lomas"
ecosystem, located in the Andean foothills, closest to the Pacific Ocean.

The Coast of Peru is divided into three regions or sectors:

North coast: it extends from Boca de Capones in Tumbes, to Punta Agujas in Piura. In
this coastal stretch the climate is semi-tropical. Here is the only navigable river on the
coast and also the only tropical dry forest in the country.

Central coast: this section goes from Punta Agujas in Piura to Paracas on San Gallán
Island in Ica. It has a subtropical-arid climate.

South coast: it is the sector that extends from Paracas in Ica to Tacna, on the border with
La Concordia in Chile. Its climate is subtropical-arid with an average temperature of 17
degrees.

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The Weather

The climate of this territory is predominantly arid, although technically it has two types
of climates: semitropical (on the border with Ecuador) and subtropical.

The atmospheric humidity is considerably high so that people can feel cold, even when
the temperature normally exceeds 12 ° C and reaches 30 ° during the summer.

Between November and March (summer season), the northern sector of the Peruvian
coast receives heavy rains. There the temperature is usually around 24 degrees Celsius.

In this area of Peru, up to 132 millimeters of rainwater can fall per year. These levels of
rainfall may increase in the presence of the atmospheric phenomenon of El Niño, which
acquires special nuances in this region where scientists already call it: "Coastal El Niño".

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 THE PERUVIAN HIGHLANDS

It extends throughout the country from north to south and within the geography of Peru it

constitutes a traditional geographical region. It limits to the west with the Coastal region and to

the east with the Jungle. To the north it has continuity with the Inter-Andean Region of Ecuador

and to the south with the Andean Region of Bolivia and Chile.

The relief of the Peruvian highlands is made up of hills, mountains, plateaus, plateaus, deep inter-

Andean valleys, Andean buttresses, and other similar formations.

In the Peruvian highlands is Mount Huascarán which, with its 6,768 meters above sea level, is the

highest point in Peru.

The Peruvian highlands, also known as the Peruvian Andes, spans four of the eight natural regions

of Peru: Quechua (between 2,300 and 3,500 masl.), Suni (between 3,500 and 4,100 masl.), Puna

(between 4,100 and 4,800 meters above sea level) and Janca (from 4,800 to 6,768 meters above

sea level).

Although it is true that one can speak of general characteristics of the Peruvian highlands, each

of these regions presents a specific relief. The mountain formations in each area are related to the

altitude at which they are found.

One of the best-known landforms in the Peruvian highlands is the Andes Mountains, a formation

that begins in Venezuela and crosses the entire South American continent to Argentina. For this

reason, it is the largest mountain range in the world.

CLIMATE
The climate of the Andes is related to the altitude, and the proximity to the desert coast or the

humid jungle. In general, it is considered that the characteristic mountain climate ranges from

temperate to cold, with very dry air and has two seasonal phases, a rainy one between November

and March, and a dry one from April to October. The permanent frozen snow floor begins at an

average of 4,800 meters above sea level, so there are numerous mountains and snow-capped

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mountain ranges. However, global warming is changing these conditions, so the ice above 5,000

meters is in retreat.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

The mountains of Peru occupy four of the natural regions of the country. These are Quechua,

Suni, Puna and Janca. Each of these geographical areas differs from the others by its relief.

1- Quechua Region

The Quechua region is located between 2,300 and 3,500 meters above sea level, this being

the lowest point of the Peruvian highlands.

The relief of this region is characterized by the presence of inter-Andean valleys; that is,

valleys that are found between the mountain ranges of the Andes mountain range.

At the junction between the inter-Andean valleys and the foothills of the Andean

Cordillera, low-lying hills and slopes are formed.

These formations have fertile lands, conducive to agriculture. Finally, there are few plains

in the Quechua region.

2- Suni Region

The Suni region is located between 3,500 and 4,100 meters above sea level. The area is

covered by gentle mountains, plains and undulations.

3- Puna Region

The Puna region is between 4,100 and 4,800 meters above sea level.

The relief of the region is varied. On the one hand, there are steep and steep rock

formations, such as those that could be found in the Janca region.

On the other hand, the relief is made up of plateaus and mountains, such as those that

characterize the Suni region.

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4- Janca Region

The Janca region, also called the Cordillera region, is located between 4,800 and 6,768

meters above sea level. This is the highest point in Peru. The relief of the Janca region is

formed by steep mountains and high peaks with perpetual snow.

Due to the abrupt relief of this area and the low temperatures, the region does not have

populated areas. However, it represents a tourist attraction for its snowy peaks

THE PERUVIAN ANDES

The Peruvian Andes are a mountain range found in the west of the country, shaping the Peruvian

highlands. This formation crosses Peru from north to south and is part of a much larger formation,

called the Andes mountain range (which runs from Venezuela to Argentina).

Peru is divided into two factions due to this mountainous formation. To the west is the coastal

area, while to the east is the jungle area.

The Peruvian Andes are divided into three sections: north, center, and south.

- NORTH SECTION

The northern section of the Andes has the narrowest and lowest mountains.

- CENTRAL SECTION

The central section is made up of snowy peaks. In this part of the mountains is Mount Huascarán,

which is the highest peak in Peru (at 6,768 meters above sea level).

In addition to Mount Huascarán, in this area there are more than 70 peaks that exceed 5,500 meters

above sea level. This is one of the reasons why the highlands attracts so many tourists. The west

of the central section is also known as the Cordillera Blanca. This is because perennial glaciers

are found in this area.

Likewise, you can see inter-Andean valleys, whose lands are very fertile and used for agriculture.

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- SOUTH SECTION

The southern section is the widest of the three sections of the Peruvian Andes. It measures about

640 km from east to west.

To the west, the southern section is made up of groups of volcanoes that make up the Western

Cordillera. Among these volcanoes, the Misti, the Sabancava and the Ubinas stand out. The latter

is the most active of the three.

To the east, there are older mountains which make up the Eastern Cordillera. There you can see

high-altitude formations that exceed 5,700 meters above sea level.

As you descend in the Eastern Cordillera, the relief changes and cliffs begin to appear that give

way to the Amazon jungles.

In the southern section, there is also the Altiplano. This plateau extends to the south of the

continent, crossing Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

The plateau is characterized by the presence of meadows, soft mountains and plateaus (belonging

to the Puna region), active volcanoes and lakes, such as Titicaca, which is the largest navigable

lake in the world.

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 THE PERUVIAN JUNGLE

Most of the territory of Peru is covered by the dense Amazon rainforest. According to the

Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon (IIAP), 782,880.55 km² of Peruvian territory are

biogeographically Amazon, which represents 13.05% of the continental total, the second largest

Amazonian national territory, after Brazil. The Amazon basin, which is born in the peaks of the

Andes, occupies a much larger territory of 967,922.47 km², 16.13% of the total basin.

In Peru, all the territories that are located to the east of the Andes mountain range, which

comprise the tropical forest, are called amazonia and, hydrographically, all the rivers are

tributaries of the Amazon River basin.

It is a huge geological depression dominated by large plains, mountains, small mountain areas,

and floodplains during river flooding times. Locally some call it "mountain", Amazon rainforest

or jungle. Historically it is associated with the myth or legend of El Dorado and the Country of

Cinnamon and at the beginning of the 20th century with the era of rubber.

The Peruvian Amazon itself forms a biogeographic region made up of the rainforest biome

whose representative vegetation is the dense evergreen broadleaf forest and its climate is

tropical humid. Under the traditional division made by Javier Pulgar Vidal in 1938, the Peruvian

Amazon is made up of two well differentiated elevational levels: the low jungle and the high

jungle.

HIGH JUNGLE
Also called Rupa-Rupa, jungle brow, yungas or high altitude rainforests. It is a very rainy cloud

forest ecoregion that extends in the eastern foothills of the Peruvian Andes, between 800 to 3,800

m s. n. m .. Its temperatures are warm in the lower parts and temperate in the higher parts. The

fauna is mostly of Amazonian origin with many endemisms (living beings that only inhabit that

place but not in another in the world), due to the isolation factor, caused by the rugged orography

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of this area. The Peruvian Amazon is divided into three large areas, defined by their geography

and climate:

 The High Forest. Also called Rupa Rupa.

 The Lower Jungle. Also called Omagua.

The territories of the high jungle or yunga extend along the eastern flank of the Andes Mountains,

between 3,800 and 800 meters above sea level, just above the Amazonian plain. Its climate is

warm and very humid, becoming cold as it approaches the Andean heights. Here it rains more

than anywhere else in the country (up to 5,000 mm per year), which allows numerous torrents and

waterfalls of crystalline water to form.

Its relief is mountainous and complex, with narrow valleys and deep ravines, always covered by

an impenetrable jungle. In its highest parts, generally shrouded in mist and drizzles, cloud forests

are located, while in the lower areas are the hills that form the so-called "mountain brow".

The vegetation in the yungas is perhaps the most exuberant in the tropics, with many orchids,

giant begonias and tree ferns. This is also the home of the cock of the rocks, the national bird of

Peru; the spectacled bear, the only species of South American bear; the yellow-tailed woolly

monkey, which until recently was believed to be extinct; the quetzals, the torrent duck, more than

twenty varieties of hummingbirds and several dozen species of fruit-bearing birds.

THE LOW FOREST:

of lowland rainforest. This ecoregion is the most extensive in Peru, it rises between 80 to 800 m

s. n. m .. It has a very warm tropical rainy climate, its average temperature is 28 ° C, high relative

humidity (over 75%) and a large amount of rainfall. Their soils are very heterogeneous, but almost

all are of fluvial origin and due to the high temperatures and high rainfall they have few nutrients.

The presence of large and mighty rivers such as the Amazon, Ucayali, Marañón, Putumayo,

Yavarí, Napo, Tigre and Pastaza stands out.

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 THE PERUVIAN SEA

The oceanographic and continental characteristics of the Peruvian territory offer complex

conditions, determined by the interaction of atmospheric currents, due to the dynamics of

cyclones and anticyclones, marine currents, Andean orogeny, hydrographic basins of the

Pacific, Atlantic, Lake Titicaca and tropical forests. These characteristics have generated

an extremely heterogeneous territory, with cultural, ecological, climatic and chemical

diversities.

Characteristic of the seabed off the Peruvian coast

Continental shelf. - Subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate

along the Chile-Peru Trench is associated with numerous earthquakes. Several of these

are notable for their size, associated tsunamis and/or landslides, including: the

Concepción earthquake of 1570 (Mw ~8.3), Peru in 1687 (Mw ~8.4), Valparaiso in 1730

(Ms ~8. 7), Lima in 1746 (Mw ~9.0), Arica in 1868 (Mw ~9.0), Valparaíso in 1906 (Mw

~8.2), Valdivia in 1960 (which is the largest recorded earthquake in history, with Mw 9.

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 5), Ancash in 1970 (Mw 7.9 event that triggered

alluviums with large snow and mud components,

killing approximately 68 thousand people),

southern Peru in 2001 (Mw 8.4), Tarapacá in 2005

(Mw 7.8) Tocopilla in 2007 (Mw 7.7), and the

Central Chile earthquake of 2010 (Mw 8.8, with a

subsequent tsunami that crossed the Pacific).

The continental slope. -The continental slope

extends in the form of a sloping plain from the edge

of the shelf to 4000 meters depth where it becomes

the eastern margin of the Peruvian trench. It is

characterized by having a complicated relief, steep

slope in some areas and landing in very deep areas.

The Atacama Trench. - The trench is the result of

a convergent edge, where the eastern boundary of

the oceanic Nazca plate subducts beneath the

South American continental plate. Two seamount ridges within the Nazca plate enter the

subduction zone along this trench: the Nazca Ridge and the Juan Fernandez Ridge.

From the Chile Triple Point to the Juan Fernandez Ridge, the trench fills with 2 to 2.5 km

of sediments, creating a flat-bottom topography. The sediments are mainly turbidites

interbedded with oceanic deposits of clay, volcanic ash and siliceous silt.

The Peru-Chile rift, the forearc (including the Atacama fault system) and the

western edge of the central Andean plateau (Altiplano), delineate the dramatic

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Bolivian orocline, which defines the Andean slope of southern Peru, northern Chile and

Bolivia.

Unlike the formation of the Andes, the Atacama Trench formed in an area where the

South American plate was denser. Because of this, it formed a trench and not a mountain

range.

It extends north to 5°S and to the south it

continues with the Chilean Trench, with an

interruption of almost 70 miles at 14°-15°S, due

to the Nazca Cordillera. The depth of the

Peruvian Trench increases southward, with

isobaths greater than 6 500 m south of 17°S. Taking the 4 700 m isobath as the outer edge

of the trench, its width varies between 12 and 60 miles (in no case does the trench extend

beyond 200 miles) with the maximum between 9°-12 °S.

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 CONCLUSION

Peru is a mega-biodiverse country. It is privileged in diversity of landscapes, biomass and

ecosystems. The Andes, the longest tropical mountain chain in the world, longitudinally

cross the Peruvian territory and rise to more than 6000 meters of altitude, which provides

a complex combination of climates, soils and microenvironments that support a varied

biological diversity and ecosystems. In this framework, a great social and cultural

diversity is configured (National Report on the State of the Environment, 2012). In

general terms, Peru has a great diversity of ecosystems on the coast, mountains and jungle,

seen as a diverse mosaic that is distributed longitudinally and latitudinally, and different

scales as functional units; This means that some larger ecosystems include other smaller

ones. Tropical forests, dry forests, and fragile ecosystems can be considered as the main

continental ecosystems.

The geographical framework of Peru is represented by the presence of the sea in front of

its coasts, the Andes mountain range, the Amazon jungle and its latitudinal location. Peru

has a very high ecological diversity of climates, ecological floors and production areas,

as well as productive ecosystems.

The variety of the geographic relief of Peru causes that the anthropic distribution is varied

and the accessibility difficult. Likewise, the distribution in the territory is inverse to the

disposition of natural resources, so that anthropic and productive activities are centralized

on the coast, which is desert and semi-arid.

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