The nation now known as Peru has a long history, which begins before the arrival of the Europeans to the New World. The geography of the land, as always, played a major role in the development of the new nation. The indigenous peoples molded their existence according to the land, and the conquistadors from Spain would have to deal with the often times treacherous terrain in many parts of Peru. Political upheaval and dissatisfaction would give way to a new form of rule in Peru, but the struggle would be long and bloody and often times uncertain of the direction in which the forming nation was to turn. The movement towards independence was not a cohesive movement but instead fragmented. How then did Peru come to be an independent nation?
             When discussing Peru one must discuss the unique geography within this nation's boundaries. The fourth largest country in size in Latin America, ranking after Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, Peru encompasses approximately one half million square miles of land. Within this vast stretch of real estate, Peru is divided into three regions; the Sierra, the Montaña, and the Costa.1 Half of Peru's current population resides in the Sierra, which is also called the Andean Highlands. This region includes one quarter of the land area in Peru. The terrain and climate of this region is unforgiving. The high altitudes cause many foreigners to this region to become sick, with suroche2, due to the lack of oxygen; and have been fatal to some. The harsh mountainous terrain made transportation through this area highly arduous, especially for armies or merchant types of travelers. Because of the climate, this region is highly productive agriculturally. Minerals are also abundant due to the!
             mountains. The area east of the Andes Mountains is called the Montaña. Navigable waterways present the only viable option of transportation in this Amazonian jungle region. Only ten percent of t...