Peru is the largest South American country without an Atlantic coastline.
Peru covers about 1,285,216 square kilometers, making it South America’s third-largest country overall, behind Brazil and Argentina. Its coast faces the Pacific Ocean, not the Atlantic, and stretches along the continent’s western edge.
The wording can cause confusion because Bolivia and Paraguay are the continent’s only completely landlocked countries, but both are smaller than Peru. Bolivia has no ocean coastline, while Paraguay reaches the Atlantic drainage system through rivers; neither has a larger area than Peru.
Peru’s geography spans three major natural regions: the arid Pacific coastal strip, the Andes Mountains, and the Amazon Basin. Its Pacific position also explains why Lima, Callao, and Peru’s fishing industry have long been central to the country’s economy and international trade.