Peru gets drawn as a tidy square on the coast, and then the scorer notices the entire Amazon half is missing. That lobe reaching up toward Colombia is a third of the country, and forgetting it is the difference between a good score and a shrug.
The shape at a glance
Peru is a chunky, slightly rotated rectangle on the western shoulder of South America, a bit taller than wide. The Pacific coast runs along its left edge with a noticeable angle, and the Andes stripe down the middle. The crucial detail is the northeastern arm: a lobe of Amazon jungle reaching up between Ecuador and Colombia toward Brazil.
Step by step
- Block out the main mass as a tall box on the northwest coast of the continent, slightly wider at the bottom.
- Angle the Pacific coastline so it leans — the shore runs northwest to southeast rather than straight down.
- Add the northeastern arm: a rounded lobe pushing up between Ecuador and Colombia into the Amazon.
- Pinch the narrow point where Peru nearly touches the Pacific again at its top, just below Ecuador.
- Round the southern edge where Peru meets Bolivia and Chile at Lake Titicaca's latitude.
- Keep the eastern border deep — Peru reaches far inland, well past the Andes.
Mistakes that cost you points
- Drawing only the coastal strip and forgetting the huge Amazonian interior.
- Missing the northeastern arm entirely, which is Peru's most distinctive outline feature.
- Making the country too square; the coastal angle gives the whole mass a lean.
- Confusing its borders and squeezing it against Chile, forgetting Bolivia sits between them at Lake Titicaca.
Place it on the map
Peru sits on the Pacific coast between Ecuador to the north and Chile to the south, with Brazil and Bolivia at its back. It's the big chunk of western South America that isn't Chile's ribbon.
Pro tip: Draw the Amazon arm first and let the coastal box hang off it — players who draw coast-first always run out of room and amputate the jungle. The arm is a third of the landmass, so protecting it protects your score.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you draw Peru from memory?
- Start with the overall box — is Peru wider than tall or the reverse — then place its signature feature first and build the rest of the outline around it. Finish with the coastline details, then compare against the real border in a free practice round to get a 0-100 score.
- How hard is it to draw Peru?
- Peru rates as medium difficulty. A deceptively boxy mass with a sneaky Amazon arm reaching northeast that most players leave off entirely.