GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PERU

Official Name: República del Perú
Independence Day: July 28, 1821
First President: Jose de San Martín
Current President: Alan García Pérez

Type of Government: The Republic of Peru government type is presidential, unitary and decentralized.

Capital: Lima
Surface: 1.285.261 Km2
Currency: The official Peruvian currency is the nuevo sol (1 nuevo sol = 100 cents)

Population: 27,148,101 (2003)

Official language: Spanish and Quechua are the official languages. Aymará is spoken in some areas of the region of Puno. Many other dialects exist in the jungle regions.

Geography: Peru is divided in three important regions:
Coast: Pacific Ocean
Sierra: Mountain area, Andes Mountain Range
Forest: mostly of tropical forest

Borders: Peru borders Brazil in the East, Colombia in the Northeast, Ecuador in the North, Chile in the South, Bolivia in the Southeast and in the West with the Pacific Ocean.

Political organization: 25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

Presidential elections: Every 5 years.

Bills: 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 nuevos soles
Coins: are of 1, 2 and 5 nuevos soles, and 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.

Money Exchange: Although the Dollar is generally accepted, we recommend using banks and other official exchange places to avoid possible frauds.

Travelers Check:
The use of traveler checks is limited. It is highly suggested to exchange the checks in Banks considering the loss of the 2% or 5% of the total.

Exchange type: Approximate 1 dollar = 2.82 nuevos soles

Credit cards: Credit cards are accepted in Lima as American Express, Visa, Dinners club and Master Card. Please consider that in other provinces, the use of credit cards is not usual.

Airport fees:
International: USD 31.00
National: USD 7.00

Weather:
The weather varies depending on the region.
On the coast, the winter reaches a temperature average of 14°C. In summer, temperatures reach 28°C.
In the Peruvian mountains, the sun shines all year long, but the temperature dips during the nights to an average of 5°C. In the jungle area the weather is tropical.
In the mountains, as in the jungle, the rain season starts in December and ends in April.

Seasons:
Peru has two seasons: dry and humid.
The best season to visit Peru is the dry season, between May and September.

Electricity:
220 volts and 60 Hertz. You will find adaptation devices in specialized stores.

Vaccination:
Currently no vaccines or medical test are required to travel to Peru, although it is highly recommended that you get the yellow fever vaccine if you have plans to visit the Amazon Jungle.

International Area Code:
Peru area code: 51. Direct international phone connection is available.

Time Reference:
The time in Peru is the same as United States Eastern Time or GMT+5 hours.

Work Schedule:
- Banks: 09:00 to 13:00 hours and from 15:00 to 18:00 hours.
- Stores: 09:00 to 20:00 hours.
- Public Administration: 09:00 to 17:00 hours in winter and from 08:00 a 15:00 hours in summer.

Public Transportation:
Public transportation is available from 06:00 in the morning to 24:00 at night. The rates are printed on the outside and inside of buses.

* Taxis:
Taxi services are very cheap and not regulated. We suggest you negotiate the rate before you enter the taxi. The taxis are yellow. There’s also a large amount of radio-taxi companies that you could take by calling and indicating the place to pick you up.

* Trains:
There exist two train services in Peru that connect the cost with the highlands.

* Buses:
Public buses are known “combis” and work from 06:00 in the morning to 24:00 at night.

To travel between cities and towns, buses are the most convenient and economic way to travel. There are bus routes almost everywhere except Machu Picchu and the interior of the jungle.

* Rent a Car:
Renting a car is suggested for short trips or to visit archeological and distant places.
In Lima, there are international and national companies that offer cars to rent.

National Holidays
· January 1. New Year.
· May 1. Labor Day.
· July 28. Peru Independence Day.
· June 29. San Pedro y San Pablo.
· August 30. Santa Rosa. Lima’s Patron Saint.
· October 8. Angamos Battle Anniversary.
· November 1. All Saints Day.
· December 25. Christmas.
· December 31. New Year’s Eve.