Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-09-01

'erf OF La
(Prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. d. CO.
Peru, which has been celebrating
the hundredth anniversary Of its In
dependence from Spain, in tile pres
ence 0f commissioners officially repre-
Eenttng the United States and other
nations. is far enough out of the
beaten path OF most North Americans
to he but vaguely known to them. 1t
is often thought of. no doubt. as
little republic clinglng to the sides of
the lofty Andes lest 1t slip and be
lost In the Pacific. But in area and
Interest Peru is by no means neg
l'gibie; and II 1t has failed to take
nh important place In world affairs,
either commercial or political, 1t may
well be thut that fact is due, not to
lack of size and resources and p0ten-
tiai wealth and power, but rather to
iMmatuvity.
Peru has every climate under
heaven, together with many of the
products and conditions that go with
them. 1t las the sand dunes of the
Sahara; the fertile, sun-bathed. irri-
gated valleys OF California; the dry
grazing lands OF Australia; the pro-
ductive mountain valleys and uplands
6 Kashmir; the bleak plateaus Of
Tibet; the snowy peaks of Switzer-
land and the tropical jungles of Cen
tral Africa and Brazil. And off its
shores, tropical in latitude but mild In
temperature, the waters, so cold that
often they are uncomfortable for bath
Ing. are alive with the sea life of the
nenr-antarctlc.
Much of Peru Is occupied by the
towering Andes, with few passes less
<, than .15,OOO feet high aud with auaaar-
GUS peaks exceeding 21,OOO feet.
These great ramparts are chiefly re-
sponslble for the diversity of Perus
climatic conditions. They precipitate
the moisture of the Atlantic winds
aud SO create the tropical jungles that
stretch from their bases toward the
interior of the continent; thrust slopes
and plateaus up into the cool regions
Of the upper air; and cut off the Pa
cite coast section from the moisture
laden winds, making much of 1t q
desert.
Coast Strip Has Rivers but No Rain.
Although the strip of Peru between
the Pacific and the western foothills
Of the Andes is devoid of rain and
largely desert. many streams from the
mountains break across this region to
the sea. and the relatively narrow val
leys. irrigated from their waters, con-
stitute the most fertile land of the
country.
Most of the desert land between the
parallel rivers Is not so from lack of
fertility but because of the absence
of life-giving water. This is most
unusual region lying within the tropics
and adjoining the sea-. where normal
ly vegetable growth would be abund-
ant. If it could be viewed from a
distance of thousand miles through
q telescope 1t would probably appear
much as the supposed canals of Mars
have been described as appearing to
some observers-dark, roughly parallel
lines Of vegetation on q drab. verdure-
less background Some of the bench
lands have been reclaimed for consid-
cradle distances from the rivers, and
projects have been considered to i'm.
pound the waters that rush down from
the melting Andean SHOWS and bring
under cultivation practically the whole
coast region.
Peru has an area of about 100000
square miles and Is therefore only
slightly smaller than Mexico and well
over alquarter the size of the United
States exclusive of Alaska. II Peru
could be laid down on the surface Of
the United States SO that its southern
most point coincided with the south
ernmost projection Of Texas its north
eastern corner would lie near Peoria
Ill.,. and it's northwestern extremity
near Cheyenne, Wyo The rough tri
angle would cover practically all Of
Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. half Of
Nebraska. parts Of Illinois. Missouri
Colorado, Iowa and South Dakota
and fragments Of New Mexico and
Wyoming.
Where the lneas Flourished.
Just as the United States was set
tied from the Atlantic coast and de
yeloped 1rst its coastal strip, leavin,
as an unknown region for generation
the country to the west beyond 1T
mountains and deserts. so Peru ha
developed in the reverse direction
The European conqnerors Of It's Inc,
empire entered the country from TIL
r. rife coast. and It L along this stril