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fiogf49gjkf0d PERU, RENOWNED AS THE LAND OF THE INCAS IS THE THIRD LARGEST SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY SITUATED ON THE PACIFIC COAST AND COVERING AN AREA OF 1,285,215 SQ KM. PERU CAN CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS FROM WEST TO EAST: THE COAST, THE SIERRA AND THE SELVA. THE COAST IS A 3,183KM LONG STRIP OF ARID LOWLANDS RISING TO A HEIGHT OF 460M ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE COASTAL REGION CONCENTRATES THE MAYOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF THE COUNTRY. THE MAIN EXPORTER INDUSTRIES ARE LOCATED IN THIS REGION. ALTHOUGH PREDOMINANTLY DESERTIC, THE RIVERS RUNNING DOWN THE STEEP SLOPES OF THE ANDES, GENERATE NARROW OASES OR VALLEYS THAT ARE VERY FERTILE WHERE MOST OF THE AGRICULTURE CENTERS SEAT. COTTON PLANTATIONS, SUGAR CANE AND GRAPES ARE THE PREVAILING, TRANSFORMED LATER IN EXPORTATION PRODUCTS FOR PERU. THE FISHING ACTIVITY IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS COUNTRY, GENERATING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE OF THE COUNTRY.
THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS VERY RICH IN MARINE SPECIES THIS IS USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF EXPORTERS THE SIERRA HIGHLANDS ARE COMPOSED OF THE ANDEAN MOUNTAIN RANGES: THE CORDILLERA OCCIDENTAL, CENTRAL AND ORIENTAL SEPARATED BY VERTIGINOUS CANYONS. THE PEAKS RISE FROM 2700 TO 5800M. MOUNT HUASCARAN, 6760M, IN WEST CENTRAL PERU IS THE NATION'S HIGHEST POINT. THE SIERRA IS CONFORMED BY NUMEROUS MOUNTAINS PEAKS, AMONG THEM WEALTHY RIVERS CROSS BATHING VERY EXTENSE VALLEYS. THE LANDSCAPE IN THIS REGION IS SPECTACULAR. ITS GEOGRAPHY IS IDEAL FOR PRACTICING DIFFERENT ADVENTURE TOURIST ACTIVITIES. BEYOND THE SIERRA IS THE SELVA OR VAST FORESTED EASTERN PLAIN. EMBRACES 2/3 OF THE PERUVIAN TERRITORY AND IT IS MAINLY FORMED BY VERY DENSE VEGETATION WITH ABUNDANT ANIMAL LIFE. THIS IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE REGION FOR ECOLOGISTS AROUND THE WORLD. THIS VAST LOWLAND AREA, 914M ABOVE SEA LEVEL, IS MOSTLY MADE UP OF THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST OF THE AMAZON BASIN. THE AMAZON'S MAJOR HEAD STREAMS IN PERU ARE THE MARANON AND UCAYALI RIVERS. LAKE TITICACA, 5342 SQ KM, IN THE SOUTH IS THE HIGHEST NAVIGABLE BODY OF WATER AT AN ELEVATION OF 3810M.
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