Smart Eating #3 Peru Englisch

18 19
"Unless we love the
earth, we will never find
a place in heaven."
Peruvian proverb
The country
From sea level to the
highest mountain at
6,768 metres above that
level (Nevado Huascarán)
and deep into the Amazonian
rain forest, Peru lies in
three landscape zones with
radically different climatic
conditions. This leads to
an especially wide variety of
species and biodiversity.
COSTA (COAST)
To a large extent, the costa is a coastal desert.
The Atacama Desert, thought to be the driest
region in the world, starts in the south of Peru
on the border with Chile. Southwards from
Lima, the capital city, the land can therefore
only be farmed along river oases flowing from
the Andes. The Peruvian Pacific coast is one of
the richest fishing areas in the world, making
Peru the second-largest fishing nation after
China.
SIERRA (ANDES, HIGHLANDS)
The Sierra rises upwards from behind the narrow
ribbon of coast. The Andean mountain
ranges are interspersed with long valleys,
where rivers flow from the Andes' springs towards
the Amazon and the coast. The landscape
stretches from hills rich in vegetation
and enjoying moderate temperatures in the
north across steep mountain massifs with
eternal snow and ice at altitudes over 6,000
metres in Central Peru to the high plain (Altiplano)
around Lake Titicaca in the south.
SELVA (RAIN FOREST)
The selva starts to the east of the Andes. The
transition is gradual, there is a tropical
mountain forest. Annual rainfall can be up
to 3,800 mm (almost four times more than in
Switzerland). The Peruvian rain forest is dense
and almost impenetrable. The rivers that flow
long distances to the Amazon are the only
traffic arteries through the wide forest areas.
They are still populated by many indigenous
peoples.