Surface Area
Population
Climate
Gastronomy
Economy
Language
Religion

 

 

SURFACE AREA

The Amazon rain forest covers more than 60% of Peruvian territory. According to the Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana), the size of the Peruvian Amazon is as follows:

• Ecological criteria: 782,880.55 km² (60.91% of Peruvian territory and approximately 11.05% of the whole Amazon jungle).
• Hydrographic criteria or basin criteria: 967,922.47 km² (75.31% of Peruvian territory and approximately 16.13% of the whole Amazon basin).

 

POPULATION

Although it is the largest region in Peru, the Peruvian Amazon is the least populated. It is home to approximately 165,000 inhabitants. Most of the people are concentrated in cities such as Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas, Puerto Maldonado, Nauta, Tarapoto, Jaén, Moyobamba, Bagua and Rioja. Many indigenous people, such as those of the Aguaruna, Cocama-Cocamilla, Machiguenga, Shipibo, and the Urarina tribes, inhabit the jungle, some in relative isolation from the rest of the world.

 

CLIMATE

The Peruvian Amazon is very warm with an average temperature of 28°C, high relative humidity (over 75%) and large amounts of rainfall. Its soils are very heterogeneous with most having river origins.  Due to high temperatures and high rainfall the soils are poor with few nutrients. It contains long and powerful rivers such as the Apurimac, Mantaro, Amazon, Urubamba, Ucayali, Huallaga, Marañón, Putumayo, Yavarí, Napo, Pastaza, Madre de Dios, Manu, Tambopata, Purus, Yurua and Rio Tigre.

 

GASTRONOMY

Food of the Peruvian Amazon is the result of man's adaptation to its environment. The jungle forest has always been an important source of high protein meat and freshwater fish and high carbohydrate vegetables such as cassaba (jungle potato), maize, groundnuts, beans and bananas. The primary alcoholic drink is Masato, made from cassaba (jungle potato).

 

ECONOMY

Lumber, fishing, agriculture, fruits, tourism.

 

LANGUAGE

Spanish and other dialects spoken by native jungle tribes.

 

RELIGION

The official religion is Catholicism. Indigenous tribes, located in the Peruvian jungle, express different religions in various ways.