Description
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is a mega-diverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west to the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rain-forest in the east with the Amazon river. Its capital is Lima. Peru has a population of 32 million, which includes Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other indigenous languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.
The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, it may be defaced with different emblems and has different names. Flag Day in Peru is celebrated on 7 June, the anniversary of the Battle of Arica. Red represents the blood that was spilt for the fight. White represents Purity and Peace. The coat of arms (Escudo de Armas) has a palm branch on its left and a laurel one on its right, tied by a red and white ribbon, as well as a Holm oak civic crown above it. These represent victory and glory. This variant is used on the national ensign (Pabellón Nacional) or state flag. Its use on its own is infrequent, except on currency, both on coins and bills, and stamps.