PERU 



6077 



PERU 



Pacific coast. A broad plateau, 

 from 11,000 to 13,500 ft. above 

 sea level, stretches between this 

 range and the still loftier chain 

 of the Eastern Cordillera, which 

 rears its snowy peaks above 

 20,000 ft. -,The plateau is broken 

 by many' subsidiary mountain 

 masses, and in its N. part is 

 traversed by the central Cor- 

 dillera. Near Cuzco the ranges 

 converge, and are heaped together 

 into the rugged transverse ridge 

 or " knot " of Vilcanota. South of 

 this the plateau widens out be- 

 tween two ranges, enclosing L. 

 Titicaca and stretching into the 

 yet broader Bolivian plateau. Lake 

 Titicaca forms the main part of a 

 separate hydrographical system of 

 inland drainage. 



This vast mountain system cuts 

 Peru into three distinct longi- 

 tudinal zones ; the rainless coastal 

 plain, from 30 to 60 m. wide ; the 

 sierra " or mountain system itself, 

 about 250 m. wide ; and the mon- 

 tana, the remote inland region of 

 forest which clothes the eastern 

 slopes of the Andes, and stretches 

 far into the Amazonian basin. The 

 mountains determine the rainfall 

 and the extraordinary contrast 

 between the E. and W. regions of 

 the republic. The moist trade- 

 winds, sweeping across the con- 

 tinent from the Atlantic, upon 

 striking the barrier of the E. 

 Cordillera, are forced upwards and 

 chilled, and shed copious rains. 

 Coastal Plain and Montana 



On the other hand, the coastal 

 plain between the Andes and the 

 Pacific is rainless, although in the 

 winter from about May till Octo- 

 ber the daily garrua, a mist often 

 breaking into a slight drizzle, 

 moistens the soil and revives vege- 

 tation. The many short and rapid 

 rivers descending from the Andes 

 to the Pacific permit strips of irri- 

 gation, which yield abundant crops 

 of sugar, cotton, and coffee. Be- 

 tween these cultivated strips the 

 coastal plain is almost desert. 



The montana, a region unde- 

 veloped, mostly difficult of access, 

 and in parts still unexplored, 

 presents a striking contrast to the 

 other parts of the republic. The 

 montana slopes down from the 

 E. spurs of the Andes to the in- 

 terior of the continent. Here 

 flourishes the vast virgin forest of 

 the damp Amazonian basin. The 

 waters teem with fish ; serpents and 

 alligators abound ; gorgeous birds 

 of every size, from the gigantic 

 heron to the tiny humming-bird, 

 haunt the woods and waters. In- 

 numerable streams wind through 

 the forest, feeding the upper waters 

 of the Amazon. Three great navig- 

 able rivers cut their way by gorges 



Peru. 



Map of the Andean republic, at one time the most important Spanish 

 colony in South America 



through the E. Cordillera, namely, 

 the Maranon, which is the main 

 stream of the Amazon, the 

 Huallaga, and the Ucayali, which 

 rises not far from Cuzco, and re- 

 ceives many affluents in its long 

 course N. The long navigable 

 stream of the Javary forms the 

 Brazilian boundary through most 

 of its course. Among the other 

 rivers is the Madre de Dios. 

 Inhabitants and Language 



The people of Peru are partly 

 of Indian, partly of Spanish de- 

 scent, with some admixture of negro 

 or African blood. More than half 

 are pure Indians ; about 14 p. c. are 

 white or reputed white, about 25 

 p.c. are mestizos of mixed Euro- 

 pean and Indian blood. Japanese 

 and Chinese labourers and traders 

 form a small but valuable propor- 

 tion, about 2 p.c. The rest of the 

 population consists of various 

 blends of white, negro, and Indian 

 elements. The whites or reputed 

 whites, many of whom have traces 

 of African or Indian blood, form a 

 dominant class, supplying the 

 official and professional ranks. 



The peasantry, villagers, and 

 labourers of the sierra, known as 



cholos, are pure Indians, a gentle, 

 somewhat apathetic and melan- 

 choly race. They still speak 

 Quichua, the language of the Incas. 

 The Aymara language also sur- 

 vives ; but on the sierra most of 

 the Indians know something of 

 Spanish. Small and scattered 

 tribes of uncivilized Indians in- 

 habit the recesses of the montana. 



The capital and largest town is 

 Lima (q.v.). Callao, the port, linked 

 with Lima by rail and tramway, 

 has about 35,000 inhabitants. Are- 

 quipa, situated on the S. uplands 

 but connected with the coastal 

 region, has about the same. Other 

 towns of note are the seaports 

 Mollendo and Payta, Trujillo in the 

 N. near the coast, Cuzco and Aya- 

 cucho in the sierra, and Iquitos on 

 the Amazon. 



GOVERNMENT. Peru has a cen- 

 tralised or unitary government 

 of the usual S. American type, a 

 president ruling for 4 years with a 

 cabinet of 6 ministers, a senate of 

 57 members, and a representative 

 house of 128, both elected upon a 

 very restricted franchise. One- 

 third of each house retire every two 

 years. The country is divided into 



