Let the experts at National Geographic act as your guides to Peru,
land of stunning beauty and endless contrast. Look and learn in
wonder at the diversity of landscape within this surprising
country: barren deserts, green oases, snowcapped peaks, high
windswept plateaus, and deep valleys. Encounter the endless array
of fauna and flora that thrives within these ecologically and
climatically diverse regions: the animals and plants of the coastal
regions, the offshore islands, the coastal plains, and the
sierra.
Learn of the country's rich yet divisive history; how Peru was
once the center of a powerful and extensive empire ruled by the
Inca. Peer over the shoulders of experts on Peruvian archaeological
sites and examine the treasures that yield the secrets of the Inca,
one of history's most advanced civilizations. Learn how the
Spanish conquered Peru in the 16th century, coveting its rich
resources of precious metals, and how centuries of colonization
would later leave a powerful cultural stamp on this South American
nation. Trace the course of Spanish rule, which ended in the early
19th century, and resulted in a divided society in which a wealthy
elite of largely Spanish descent has long dominated Peru's
larger population of Native American and mixed-race ethnicity. Meet
the people of modern Peru and witness a fast-changing society,
striving to adapt to the global trend towards large-scale
urbanization, with city dwellers now making up 74 percent of a once
mainly rural population.
