POPULATION 27,949,639
ROMAN CATHOLIC 90 percent
PROTESTANT (ANGLICAN, METHODIST, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN) 8 percent
OTHER 2 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

Peru, bordering the Pacific Ocean, is located in the western part of South America between Chile and Ecuador. The complex geography of Peru is reflected in the native Andean concept of huaca, which refers to anything imbued with supernatural power. Notable features of the landscape—from mountain crags to stones—are seen as having this power. This conception of sacred geography continues today, centuries after the introduction of Catholicism.

The earliest centralized state to develop in the region was that of Chavín, which flourished between 950 B.C.E. and 450 B.C.E. It served as a center for an influential priesthood, which spread a distinctive ritual and artistic style. After its decline a number of localized cultures, including the Gallinazo, Mochica, Paracas, Nazca, and Chimú, developed on the coast and in the...