Peru

American  

[puh-roo] / pəˈru /

noun

1. Spanish Perú.  a republic in western South America. 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,215 sq. km). Lima.

2. a city in north-central Indiana.

3. a city in northern Illinois.

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Peru British  

/ pəˈruː /

noun

1. a republic in W South America, on the Pacific: the centre of the great Inca Empire when conquered by the Spanish in 1532; gained independence in 1824 by defeating Spanish forces with armies led by San Martín and Bolívar; consists of a coastal desert, rising to the Andes; an important exporter of minerals and a major fishing nation. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: nuevo sol. Capital: Lima. Pop: 29 849 303 (2013 est). Area: 1 285 215 sq km (496 222 sq miles)

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Peru Cultural  

1. Republic in western South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the northeast, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. Its capital and largest city is Lima.

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Discover More

Peru was the heart of the Inca Empire, which flourished from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The remains of the empire include the fabled stone fortress of Machu Picchu.

Achieved independence from Spain in 1821.

Other Word Forms

• Peruvian
  adjective
• non-Peruvian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Peru

He planned to complete a programme in Peru, billed as an internship in the Amazon rainforest.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

She stood unsuccessfully in 2011, 2016 and 2021, losing by similarly tight margins, during a period of intense political instability in Peru.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

"Peru needs to restore order in its streets, in its institutions, and in the State," Fujimori said from her party's headquarters in the capital.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

By the late 17th century, paintings of musket-wielding archangels were popular in the borderlands of modern Bolivia and Peru.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Wherever he traveled in the world, he rarely took time to enjoy the local culture or history, such as Machu Picchu in Peru or the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French