Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where the capital, Lima, is located.

Along Peru’s west coast is a narrow strip (狭长地带) of desert, which is about 1, 555 miles long. Ancient people, called the Chimú and the Nasca, first lived in this region thousands of years ago. The coastal desert makes up only about 10 percent of Peru, but it is home to more than half of all Peruvians.

The world’s largest rain forest, the Amazon, covers nearly half of Peru. Called the selva in Spanish, this huge jungle (丛林), which also covers half of Brazil, is home to plants and animals that do not live anywhere else on Earth, Some scientists think there may even be Indian tribes (部落) there that have never seen the outside world.

The second highest mountain range in the world runs through Peru. These peaks, called the Andes, are so tall and forbidding that the ancient Inca people thought they were gods. They run from north to south and can be seen from Peru’s beaches 50 miles to the west. The highest peak of it, Mount Huascaran, is 22, 205 feet high.

The ground we walk on seems firm, but deep under the earth and under the sea the rocks change and move. In some parts of the world there are “fire mountains”， which we call volcanoes. From time to time they burst open and throw out fire and burning ashes. These volcanoes are very dangerous.

Hong Kong does not have any volcanoes but there are many volcanoes in Indonesia and Philippines. There is also a famous mountain near Tokyo, Japan, which is a volcano too. Its name is Mount Fuji. For much of the year it is covered with snow.

One of the most famous volcanoes which erupted in recent times was Krakatoa, on an island in Indonesia. The first explosions took place on 20th May, 1883, but the biggest eruption did not come until the 26th and 27th August of that year. The people on the island were used to the explosions by that time, and so they were completely unprepared for this terrible happening. Almost all the people on the island died and the explosion also made huge waves in the sea, which drowned (淹死) many people on the other island nearby. After the eruption was over, people saw that the whole northern part of the island had completely disappeared. Scientists say that 15 cubic (立方) kilometres of rocks and ash were thrown up in the explosion. The noise of the explosion was heard nearly 5,000 kilometres away in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and the city of Jakarta was completely dark for about two and a half hours.

Here are some amazing national forests in the United States that are perfect places to step outside and enjoy nature.

White Mountain National Forest

It has an area of 148,000 acres. This forest is known especially for its vast water resources, including 12,000 acres of wetlands, 67 lakes, and so on. The forest houses almost thе whоlе Моunt Wаѕhіngtоn, thе hіghеѕt реаk(山峰) іn thе northeastern Unіtеd Ѕtаtеѕ, аnd is home to almost 200 kinds of birds.

Superior National Forest

Established(设立) in 1909, it is famous for its forest ecosystem and its clean lakes(more than 695 square miles of the forest are surface water). With over 3 million acres in total, there are some pretty important animals who call this forest home, including black bears and gray wolves.

White River National Forest

White River National Forest in northwest Colorado is the most visited national forest in the country. Established in 1891, the biggest threats to this forest are wildfires and insects. In the 1940s, a widespread outbreak of beetles killed 99% of the trees in an area of over 1,000 square miles.

Inyo National Forest

Inyo National Forest is known as a best place for camping, hiking, fishing and skiing with 2 million acres near the borders of California and Nevada. Another impressive feature of this forest is its Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the oldest living trees in the world, some of which are almost 5,000 years old.