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Machu Picchu - the ancient city of the Incas. A lost city. An abandoned city. A hidden city. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

What's the story on this mysterious place? To find out...

Rewind to 1450, around the time Machu Picchu was built.

Before the Spanish conquerors arrived, the Incas dominated a vast area in what is now South America. The empire controlled a 3,000-mile swath of land that stretched east from the Pacific Ocean across the Andes Mountains to the jungle.

Near Cuzco, the capital of this great kingdom, was an extraordinary city built almost 8,000 feet above sea level on a flat ridge between two high peaks of the Andes. Surrounded by agricultural terraces, the city was small, only about five square miles. But it had more than 150 buildings - from palaces and temples to baths, storage rooms, and homes for a population of about 800. This was Machu Picchu.

Why was Machu Picchu built - so high in the mountains, so remote? What was its purpose? Was it a defensive stronghold? A retreat for the Inca ruler? An escape for Inca elites wanting to get away from the noise of the cities below?

We will never know for sure. The Incas had no writing system. They left behind no histories, no records, no diaries.

Even though they had no written language, the Incas developed one of the most sophisticated societies in the pre-industrial world. They had an effective system for taxation, for construction, for warfare, for providing goods and services to their people.

But they could not compete with the Spanish conquistadors (the adventurers and explorers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires) who brought horses, superior weaponry, an intense desire for gold - and disease, especially small pox.

By 1572, the Spanish had completely conquered the Incan empire and Machu Picchu was abandoned.

Had the Spanish attacked the city? Had they taken control of it as they had done elsewhere in the empire? No.

Machu Picchu was invisible from the foot of the mountains. There is no evidence the conquistadors even realized it existed.

Why, then? Why was the city abandoned?

One theory is that a small pox epidemic killed most of the residents and sent the rest fleeing for their lives. Whatever the reason, by 1572 Machu Picchu was a ghost town, left to return to nature.

Fast-forward another 339 years.

Enter Hiram Bingham, an explorer and professor of South American history from Yale University. Chopping his way through the dense jungle in 1911, Bingham and others, with the help of local residents, beheld what was to be hailed as one of the greatest archeological finds of the century - ancient structures, amazingly well-preserved, but covered by vegetation.

Bingham and others excavated the site. Later he wrote a book about his discovery: Lost City of the Incas. After the book was published, waves of tourists descended on Machu Picchu...and they haven't stopped coming.

discovery: Lost City of the Incas. After the book was published, waves of tourists descended on Machu Picchu...and they haven't stopped coming.

That brings us to the present.

Let's join a tour of this mysterious city. It's already in progress.

We stop to examine a stone structure. No mortar here. Only blocks of granite carved with astonishing precision. Some stones have as many as 30 surfaces. Not even a sheet of paper can be made to slide between the stones.

The structures at Machu Picchu have withstood earthquakes for almost 600 years. The reason may lie in the details of their design. Doors and windows are shaped like trapezoids. Most corners are rounded, not squared off. And the corners of interior rooms actually lean into the room. These features help the structure withstand anything the Earth can "hand out."

Someone in the group speculates about how the structures were built. After all, the building blocks weigh up to 50 tons, and in the mountainous terrain the Incas did not make use of the wheel. The answer: Organization. People. Muscle power.

We head toward the sacred plaza to find evidence that Machu Picchu was an astronomical observatory. There, in the plaza is a stone structure that marks the exact date and time of the equinoxes. Called Intihuatana, or "Hitching Post of the Sun," this stone sundial was a site of important Incan ceremonies.

Next, we meander toward the outskirts of the city to see the stone terraces that have been cut into the steep mountainside. The terraces stopped erosion and provided level land for growing crops like maize and potatoes. Apparently, the Incas were skilled farmers as well as scientists and astronomers.

Finally, we head to the Inca Trail, where we will be among the tens of thousands who walk this path each year. This narrow stone trail leads us down the mountain where we'll find our bus back to Cuzco. On the bus ride, we'll traverse the mountainside making more than a dozen hairpin turns.

At least we'll be riding a bus. The original inhabitants of this land had only the strength of their legs and their llamas for transportation.

Written by Marjorie Frank.

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Machu Picchu - the ancient city of the Incas. A lost city. An abandoned city. A hidden city. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. What's the story on this mysterious place? To find out... Rewind to 1450, around the time Machu Picchu was built.

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Home and Hearth

At ground level, indigenous communities throughout the Madre de Dios region and the rest of the Amazon are taking a customized approach to a global initiative called "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation," or REDD+. The "+" expands the program's scope to include conservation and sustainable management of forests, as well as an increase in the forests' carbon storage capacity.

Fermín Chimatani Tayori, the Puerto Luz resident who is leading his community's REDD+ effort and serves as president of the Amarakaeri reserve, sits on a porch as the rain points on the corrugated metal roofs of the village. Residents of the village were concerned about some elements of the standard REDD+ approach, he says, even as they agreed with its overall goal. So, in a joint effort with indigenous groups throughout the Amazon, they designed and proposed a new twist on it called Amazon Indigenous REDD+.

All REDD+ programs require the monitoring and measuring of carbon emissions from changes in the forest, in part so that progress can be compensated financially, but also to learn what conservation strategies are most effective. Indigenous communities in the Amazon take this one step further, as they also want to monitor and measure what is most important to them-things like changes in biodiversity and the spiritual elements of nature. Their approach to doing so is spelled out in a "life plan," which provides conservation planning (as is required by REDD+) and more, such as how to manage tourism and the logging undertaken for subsistence reasons.

Their REDD+ activities also place particular emphasis on securing land rights and tenure. It's a necessary addition: land rights, or the lack thereof, is a pervasive issue in the Peruvian Amazon, where the management and ownership of large swaths of territory are unclear at best. In Peru, indigenous communities have the legal right to manage approximately 27 million acres, which represents almost 16% of the country's forested land. But they are managing another 24 million acres of forest land, too, even though it is technically unclear is they have the right to do so. They have formally asked the Peruvian government for legal authority to manage that land and are awaiting a response.

Most forest land in Peru is owned by the national government, which grants permission-often in the form of concessions-to applicants for temporary harvest of certain tracts of land. But indigenous communities, like the one where Tayori lives, want the land to be recognized as their own, permanently, in acknowledgment of their long-term use and stewardship.

"It's our own proposal to show that we indigenous people are preserving the land," Tayori says as the downpour grows stronger. "Its' not just carbon-related. It included preserving clean water, wildlife, everything that lives in the forest. It also makes it clear to the world that we, this community, own this land."

He explains that his village and other indigenous communities are motivated to do everything they can to keep their trees standing and their forests thriving. The World Bank's Forest Investment Program has dedicated US $50 million to Peru's indigenous communities, and the funding they receive for reducing carbon emissions is used to create and implement those life plans. WWF, a longtime advocate for indigenous rights, is responsible for administering these grants.

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Deforestation in Peru | Magazine Articles | WWF

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At ground level, indigenous communities throughout the Madre de Dios region and the rest of the Amazon are taking a customized approach to a global initiative called "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation," or REDD+. The "+" expands the program's scope to include conservation and sustainable management of forests, as well as an increase in the forests' carbon storage capacity.

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https://www.incatrailmachu.com/en/travel-blog/what-do-people-wear-in-peru#:~:text=The%20Peruvians%20are%20great%20craftsmen&text=In%20Peru%2C%20people%20wear%20ponchos,the%20clothes%20are%20quite%20thick.

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My Peru - A Guide to the Culture and Traditions of the Andean Communities of Peru

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My Peru - A Guide to the Culture and Traditions of the Andean Communities of Peru with plenty of photos of Peru

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Spanish Empire

Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; Spanish: [fɾanˈθisko piˈθaro]; c. 16 March 1478 - 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru.

Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose to pursue fortune and adventure in the New World. He went to the Gulf of Urabá, and accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa in his crossing of the Isthmus of Panama, where they became the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. He served as mayor of the newly founded Panama City for a few years and undertook two failed expeditions to Peru. In 1529, Pizarro obtained permission from the Spanish crown to lead a campaign to conquer Peru and went on his third, and successful, expedition.

Francisco Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Spain (then in the Crown of Castile) in modern-day Extremadura, Spain. He was the illegitimate son of infantry colonel Gonzalo Pizarro (1446-1522) and Francisca González, a woman of poor means. His date of birth is uncertain, but it is believed to be sometime in the 1470s, probably 1475. Little attention was paid to his education and he grew up illiterate.

On 10 November 1509, Pizarro sailed from Spain to the New World with Alonso de Ojeda on an expedition to Gulf of Urabá in Tierra Firme. Pizarro became a participant in Ojeda's failed colony, commanding the remnants until he abandoned it with the survivors. He sailed to Cartagena and joined the fleet of Martín Fernández de Enciso in 1513.

Early career as Conquistador

On 10 November 1509, Pizarro sailed from Spain to the New World with Alonso de Ojeda on an expedition to Urabá. He sailed to Cartagena and joined the fleet of Martín Fernández de Enciso and, in 1513, accompanied Balboa in his crossing of the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific. The following year, Pedro Arias Dávila became the newly appointed governor of Castilla de Oro and succeeded Balboa. During the next five years, Pizarro became a close associate of Dávila and the governor assigned him a repartimiento of natives and cattle. When Dávila decided to get rid of Balboa out of distrust, he instructed Pizarro to personally arrest him and bring him to stand trial. Balboa was beheaded in January 1519. For his loyalty to Dávila, Pizarro was rewarded with the positions of mayor (Alcalde) and magistrate of the then recently founded Panama City from 1519 to 1523.

Expeditions to South America

The first attempt to explore western South America was undertaken in 1522 by Pascual de Andagoya. The native South Americans he encountered told him about a gold-rich territory called Virú, which was on a river called Pirú (later evolving to Perú). These reports were relayed by the Spanish-Inca writer Garcilaso de la Vega in Comentarios Reales de los Incas (1609).

Andagoya eventually established contact with several Native American curacas (chiefs), some of whom he later claimed were sorcerers and witches. Having reached as far as the San Juan River (part of the present boundary between Ecuador and Colombia) Andagoya fell ill and returned to Panama. He spread the news and stories about "Pirú" - a great land to the south rich with gold (the legendary El Dorado). These revelations, along with the accounts for Cortés' success in Mexico, caught the attention of Pizarro, prompting a series of expeditions to the south.

In 1524, while still in Panama, Pizarro formed a partnership with a priest, Hernando de Luque and a soldier, Diego de Almagro, to explore and conquer the South. Pizarro, Almagro and Luque later explicitly renewed their compact, agreeing to conquer and divide equally among themselves the empire they hoped to vanquish. While their accord was strictly oral, they dubbed their enterprise the Empresa del Levante and determined that Pizarro would command the expedition, Almagro would provide military and food supplies and Luque would be in charge of finances and additional provisions.

First expedition (1524)

In November 1524, the first of three expeditions left Panama for the conquest of Peru with about 80 men and 4 horses. Juan de Salcedo was the standard bearer, Nicolás de Ribera was the treasurer and Juan Carvallo was the inspector.

Diego de Almagro was left behind because he was to recruit men, gather additional supplies and join Pizarro later. The Governor of Panama, Pedro Arias Dávila, at first approved in principle of exploring South America. Pizarro's first expedition, however, turned out to be a failure as his conquistadores, sailing down the Pacific coast, reached no farther than Colombia before succumbing to bad weather, lack of food and skirmishes with hostile natives, one of which caused Almagro to lose an eye by arrow-shot. The place names the Spanish bestowed along their route, including Puerto Deseado (desired port), Puerto del Hambre (port of hunger) and Punta Quemado or Puebla Quemado (burned port), confirmed their difficulties. Fearing subsequent hostile encounters like the one the expedition endured at the Battle of Punta Quemada, Pizarro ended his first expedition and returned to Panama.

Second expedition (1526)

Two years later Pizarro, Almagro and Luque started the arrangements for a second expedition with permission from Pedrarias Dávila. The governor, who himself was preparing an expedition north to Nicaragua, was reluctant to permit another expedition, having lost confidence in Pizarro. The three associates eventually won his trust and he acquiesced. By this time, a new governor was to arrive and succeed Dávila. Pedro de los Ríos took charge in July 1526 and initially approved Pizarro's expeditions (he would join him several years later in Peru).

On 10 March 1526 Pizarro left Panama with two ships with 160 men and several horses, reaching as far as the Colombian San Juan River. Soon after arriving the party separated, with Pizarro staying to explore the new and often perilous territory off the swampy Colombian coasts, while the expedition's co-commander, Almagro, returned to Panama for reinforcements. Pizarro's Piloto Mayor (main pilot), Bartolomé Ruiz, continued sailing south and, after crossing the equator, found and captured a balsa (raft) under sail, with natives from Tumbes. To everyone's surprise, these carried textiles, ceramic objects and some pieces of gold, silver and emeralds, making Ruiz's findings the central focus of this second expedition. Some natives were taken aboard Ruiz's ship to serve as interpreters.

He then set sail north for the San Juan River, arriving to find Pizarro and his men exhausted from the difficulties they had faced exploring the new territory. Soon Almagro sailed into the port laden with supplies and a reinforcement of at least eighty recruits who had arrived at Panama from Spain with an expeditionary spirit. The findings and excellent news from Ruiz along with Almagro's new reinforcements cheered Pizarro and his tired followers. They decided to sail back to the territory already explored by Ruiz and, after a difficult voyage due to strong winds and currents, reached Atacames on the Ecuadorian coast. Here, they found a large native population recently brought under Inca rule. Unfortunately for the conquistadores, the people they encountered seemed so defiant and numerous that the Spanish decided not to enter the land.

The Famous Thirteen

After much wrangling between Pizarro and Almagro, it was decided that Pizarro would stay at a safer place, the Isla de Gallo, near the coast, while Almagro would return to Panama with Luque for more reinforcements - this time with proof of the gold they had found and the news of the discovery of the obviously wealthy land they had explored. The new governor of Panama, Pedro de los Ríos, had learned of the mishaps of Pizarro's expeditions and the deaths of various settlers who had gone with him. Fearing an unsuccessful outcome, he rejected Almagro's application for continued resources. In addition, he ordered two ships commanded by Juan Tafur to be sent immediately with the intention of bringing Pizarro and his crew back to Panama.

Pizarro had no intention of returning and when Tafur arrived at Isla de Gallo, Pizarro drew a line in the sand, saying: "There lies Peru with its riches; Here, Panama and its poverty. Choose, each man, what best becomes a brave Castilian. For my part, I go to the south."

Only 13 men stayed with Pizarro. They later became known as "The Famous Thirteen" ( Los trece de la fama), while the rest of the expeditioners stayed with Tafur. Ruiz left in one of the ships with the intention of joining Almagro and Luque in their efforts to gather reinforcements. Soon after the ships left, Pizarro and his men constructed a crude boat and journeyed 25 leagues north to La Isla Gorgona, where they would remain for seven months before the arrival of new provisions.

Back in Panama, Pedro de los Ríos (after much convincing by Luque) had finally acquiesced to the requests for another ship, but only to bring Pizarro back within six months and completely abandon the expedition. Almagro and Luque grasped the opportunity and left Panama (this time without new recruits) for La Isla Gorgona to once again join Pizarro. On meeting with Pizarro, the associates decided to continue sailing south on the recommendations of Ruiz's Indian interpreters.

On their return towards Panama, Pizarro briefly stopped at Tumbes, where two of his men had decided to stay to learn the customs and language of the natives. Pizarro was also given two Peruvian boys to learn Spanish, one of whom was later baptized as Felipillo and served as an important interpreter, the equivalent of Cortés' La Malinche of Mexico, and another called Martinillo. Their final stop was at La Isla Gorgona, where two of his ill men (one had died) had stayed. After at least 18 months away, Pizarro and his followers anchored off the coasts of Panama to prepare for the final expedition.

Capitulación de Toledo

When the new governor of Panama, Pedro de los Ríos, refused to allow for a third expedition to the south, the associates resolved for Pizarro to leave for Spain and appeal to the sovereign in person. Pizarro sailed from Panama for Spain in the spring of 1528, accompanied by Pedro de Candia, some natives and llamas, plus samples of fabric, gold and silver.

Pizarro reached Seville in early summer. King Charles I, who was at Toledo, had an interview with Pizarro and heard of his expeditions in South America. The conquistador described the territory as rich in gold and silver that he and his followers had bravely explored "to extend the empire of Castile". The king, who was soon to leave for Italy, was impressed at his accounts and promised his support for the conquest of Peru. Queen Isabel, though, in the absence of the king, signed the Capitulación de Toledo on 6 July 1529, a license document that authorized Pizarro to proceed with the conquest of Peru. Pizarro was officially named the Governor, Captain general, Adelantado and Alguacil Mayor, of New Castile for the distance of 200 leagues along the newly discovered coast and invested with all authority and prerogatives, leaving his associates in secondary positions (a fact that later incensed Almagro and would lead to eventual discord). One of the grant conditions was that within six months, Pizarro should raise a sufficiently equipped force of 250 men, of whom 100 might be drawn from the colonies.

This gave Pizarro time to leave for his native Trujillo and convince his brother Hernando Pizarro and other close friends to join him on his third expedition. Francisco de Orellana joined the group and would later discover and explore the length of the Amazon River. Two half-brothers from his father, Juan Pizarro and Gonzalo Pizarro, and a half-brother from his mother, Francisco Martín de Alcántara, later also decided to join him, as well as his cousin Pedro Pizarro, who served as his page. When the expedition left the following year, it numbered three ships, 180 men and 27 horses.

Pizarro could not raise the number of men the Capitulación required and sailed clandestinely from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda for the Canary Island of La Gomera in January 1530. He was there joined by his brother Hernando and the remaining men in two vessels that would sail back to Panama. Pizarro's third and final expedition left Panama for Peru on 27 December 1530.

Conquest of Peru (1532)

In 1531, Pizarro once again landed on the coasts near Ecuador, the province of Coaque and the region of esmeraldas, where some gold, silver and emeralds were procured and then dispatched to Almagro. The latter had stayed in Panama to gather more recruits. Sebastián de Belalcázar soon arrived with 30 men. Though Pizarro's main objective was then to set sail and dock at Tumbes like his previous expedition, he was forced to confront the Punian natives in the Battle of Puná, leaving three or four Spaniards dead and many wounded. Soon after, Hernando de Soto, another conquistador who had joined the expedition, arrived with 100 volunteers and horses to aid Pizarro and with him sailed towards Tumbes, only to find the place deserted and destroyed. The two conquistadors expected that the settlers had disappeared or died under murky circumstances. The chiefs explained that the fierce tribes of Punians had attacked them and ransacked the place.

As Tumbes no longer afforded safe accommodations, Pizarro led an excursion into the interior in May 1532 and established the first Spanish settlement in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, and a repartimiento.

Leaving 50 men back at the settlement under the command of Antonio Navarro, Pizarro proceeded with his conquest accompanied by 200 men on 24 September 1532. After arriving at Zaran, de Soto was dispatched to a Peruvian garrison at Caxas. After a week, he returned with an envoy from the Inca himself, with presents and an invitation to visit the Inca ruler's camp.

Atahualpa's refusal led Pizarro and his force to attack the Inca army in what became the Battle of Cajamarca on 16 November 1532. The Spanish were successful. Pizarro executed Atahualpa's 12-man honor guard and took the Inca captive at the so-called Ransom Room. By February 1533, Almagro had joined Pizarro in Cajamarca with an additional 150 men and 50 horses.

Despite fulfilling his promise of filling one room (22 by 17 feet or 7 by 5 metres) with gold and two with silver, Atahualpa was convicted of 12 charges, including killing his brother and plotting against Pizarro and his forces. He was executed by garrote on 29 August 1533. Francisco Pizarro and de Soto were opposed to Atahualpa's execution, but Francisco consented to the trial due to the "great agitation among the soldiers", particularly by Almagro. De Soto was on a reconnaissance mission the day of the trial and execution and upon his return expressed his dismay, stating, "he should have been taken to Castile and judged by the emperor." King Charles later wrote to Pizarro: "We have been displeased by the death of Atahualpa, since he was a monarch and particularly as it was done in the name of justice."

Pizarro advanced with his army of 500 Spaniards toward Cuzco, accompanied by Chalcuchimac, one of the leading Inca generals of the north and a supporter of Atahualpa, who was subsequently burned at the stake. Manco Inca Yupanqui joined Pizarro after the death of Túpac Huallpa. During the exploration of Cuzco, Pizarro was impressed and through his officers wrote back to King Charles I of Spain, saying: "This city is the greatest and the finest ever seen in this country or anywhere in the Indies... We can assure your Majesty that it is so beautiful and has such fine buildings that it would be remarkable even in Spain."

The Spanish sealed the conquest of Peru by entering Cuzco on 15 November 1533. Jauja, in the fertile Mantaro Valley, was established as Peru's provisional capital in April 1534, but it was high up in the mountains and too distant from the sea to serve as the capital. Pizarro founded the city of Lima on Peru's central coast on 6 January 1535, which he considered to be one of the most important things he had created in life.

By early 1536, Manco Inka, supported by an army of perhaps 100,000 people, initiated a siege of Cuzco. At the same time, smaller Incan expeditionary forces moved to destroy other European strongholds. In the three years of continuous warfare since the arrival of Pizarro, Incan military leaders had become familiar with Spanish military tactics and developed effective counters. Perhaps the most effective of these military innovations was the one that dealt with the Europeans' greatest advantage on the battlefield: horses. Incan soldiers would offer battle but hold their position until the Spaniards had concentrated their cavalry in order to break the indigenous line. They would then fall back before the cavalry charge and draw the Europeans into a canyon where prepositioned forces could crush them under avalanches of rocks and missile weapons. Instead of charging the numerically inferior Europeans as they had done early on, Incan soldiers used their discipline and knowledge of the terrain in order to draw the armoured cavalry charge into a death trap. Well documented battlefield deaths show that many more Spaniards died in these battles than in the early days of the war when theoretically the Inca had a much greater advantage. Despite winning the majority of the battles, the inability of the Incan forces to overwhelm Cuzco's fortifications, manned as they were by only 200 fighting men armed with gunpowder weapons, signalled the definitive victory of Spanish forces.

After the final effort of the Inca to recover Cuzco had been defeated by Almagro, a dispute occurred between Pizarro and Almagro respecting the limits of their jurisdiction, as both claimed the city of Cuzco. The king of Spain had awarded the Governorate of New Toledo to Almagro and the Governorate of New Castile to Pizarro. The dispute had originated from a disagreement on how to interpret the limit between the governorates. This led to confrontations between the Pizarro brothers and Almagro, who was eventually defeated during the Battle of Las Salinas (1538) and executed. Almagro's son, also named Diego and known as El Mozo, was later stripped of his lands and left bankrupt by Pizarro.

Atahualpa's wife, 10-year-old Cuxirimay Ocllo Yupanqui, was with Atahualpa's army in Cajamarca and had stayed with him while he was imprisoned. Following his execution, she was taken to Cuzco and given the name Dona Angelina. By 1538, it was known she had borne Pizarro two sons, Juan and Francisco.

In Lima, on 26 June 1541 "a group of 20 heavily armed supporters of Diego de Almagro II "el mozo" stormed Pizarro's palace, assassinating him and then forcing the terrified city council to appoint young Almagro as the new governor of Peru", according to Burkholder and Johnson. "Most of Pizarro's guests fled, but a few fought the intruders, numbered variously between seven and 25. While Pizarro struggled to buckle on his breastplate, his defenders, including his half-brother Martín de Alcántara, were killed". For his part, Pizarro killed two attackers and ran through a third. While trying to pull out his sword, he was stabbed in the throat, then fell to the floor where he was stabbed many times." He died moments after. Diego de Almagro the younger was caught and executed the following year after losing the battle of Chupas.

Pizarro's remains were briefly interred in the cathedral courtyard; at some later time, his head and body were separated and buried in separate boxes underneath the floor of the cathedral. In 1892, in preparation for the anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the Americas, a body believed to be that of Pizarro was exhumed and put on display in a glass coffin. However, in 1977, men working on the cathedral's foundation discovered a lead box in a sealed niche, which bore the inscription: "Here is the head of Marquess Don Francisco Pizarro who discovered and conquered the kingdoms of Peru and presented them to the crown of Castile." A team of forensic scientists from the United States, led by William R. Maples, was invited to examine the two bodies and they soon determined that the body which had been honored in the glass case for nearly a century had been incorrectly identified. The skull within the lead box not only bore the marks of multiple sword blows, but the features bore a remarkable resemblance to portraits made of the man in life.

By his marriage to N de Trujillo, Pizarro had a son also named Francisco, who married his relative Inés Pizarro, without issue. After Pizarro's death, Inés Yupanqui, whom he took as a mistress, favourite sister of Atahualpa, who had been given to Francisco in marriage by her brother, married a Spanish cavalier named Ampuero and left for Spain, taking her daughter who would later be legitimized by imperial decree. Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui eventually married her uncle Hernando Pizarro in Spain, on 10 October 1537; the third son of Pizarro who was never legitimized, Francisco, by Dona Angelina, a wife of Atahualpa that he had taken as a mistress, died shortly after reaching Spain.

After his invasion, Pizarro destroyed the Inca state and while ruling the area for almost a decade, initiated the decline of local cultures. The Incas' polytheistic religion was replaced by Christianity and much of the local population was reduced to serfdom under the Spanish elite. The cities of the Inca Empire were transformed into Spanish Catholic cities. Pizarro is also reviled for ordering Atahualpa's death despite the ransom payment (which Pizarro kept, after paying the Spanish king his due). Some Peruvians, particularly those of indigenous descent, may regard him negatively, although until relatively recently Pizarro had been portrayed positively, for instance in textbooks, for introducing Catholicism and creating a privileged class of mainly Spanish descent.

Sculptures

In the early 1930s, sculptor Ramsay MacDonald created three copies of an anonymous European foot soldier resembling a conquistador with a helmet, wielding a sword and riding a horse. The first copy was offered to Mexico to represent Cortés, though it was rejected. The statue was taken to Lima in 1934 and re-purposed to represent Pizarro. One other copy of the statue resides in Wisconsin. The mounted statue of Pizarro in the Plaza Mayor in Trujillo, Spain, was created by American sculptor Charles Rumsey. It was presented to the city by his widow in 1926.

The statue long stood an adjacent square to Peru's Government Palace. In 2003, after years of requests for the statue to be removed, the mayor of Lima, Luis Castañeda Lossio, approved the transfer of the statue to another location. Since 2004, however, Pizarro's statue has been in a park surrounded by the recently restored 17th-century walls in the Rímac District. The statue faces the Rímac River and the Government Palace.

Palace of the Conquest

After returning from Peru extremely wealthy, the Pizarro family erected a plateresque-style palace on the corner of the Plaza Mayor in Trujillo. Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui and her uncle/husband Hernando Pizarro ordered the building of the palace; it features busts of them and others. It instantly became a recognizable symbol of the plaza.

The opulent palace is structured in four stands, giving it the significance of the coat of arms of the Pizarro family, which is situated at one of its corner balconies displaying its iconographic content. The building's decor includes plateresque ornaments and balustrades.

Works of Pizarro

"Francisco Pizarro response to a petition by Pedro del Barco", 14 April 1539. From the Collections at the Library of Congress

In Spanish: Francisco Pizarro para niños

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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From as far back as civilizations that predate the Inca Empire to events in the more recent centuries, the timeline of the history of Peru shines as a colorful one.

Pre-Columbian Peru

Much of Peru's coast is arid desert, but many of its valleys are watered by glacial rivers and streams flowing down the western slopes of the Andes. These valleys between the coast and the mountains nurtured the earliest human settlements in Peru and South America. Other cultures flourished in the Andean highlands and in the Amazon.
The list of ancient Peruvian civilizations is long and includes (in order of development):
Norte Chico Caral-Supe, El Paraíso, Chavín, Paracas, Moche, Nazca, Tiahuanaco, Wari, Chimú, Inca. There are also the longstanding cultural groups (that did not form states but sometimes overlapped with them), the two main groups being the Quechua and Aymara as well as countless other smaller groups.

Many developments which are attributed to the Inca Empire in areas such as agricultural technology, weaving, pottery, gold and silver work can actually be traced to previous cultures.
None of Peru's pre-Columbian cultures developed a writing system, but they did leave behind a wealth of artifacts, temples, and infrastructure such as roads, terraces, and irrigation channels.

Chavin de Huantar

Nazca Line

Chan Chan

Tihuanaco (Bolivia)

Kuelap

Inca Empire

Before the Inca Empire became an empire, they migrated into the fertile > Cusco Valley. Manco Capac became the first Inca king sometime in the 11th century. But it wasn't until 1438, under the reign of Pachacutec, that the empire began to expand on a larger scale with new areas incorporated through conquest, coercion, or alliance. Machu Picchu was constructed in 1450 as a royal estate for Pachacutec and his lineage.

By 1500, the Tahuantinsuyo stretched north to present-day Ecuador near Quito, west to the Pacific, east to the Amazon, and south to Chile near Santiago. An extensive road network called the Qhaqaq Ñan (Royal Road) enabled communication and distribution of resources. The Sapa Inca was revered as the son of the Sun, the highest divinity. Conquered peoples were obligated to provide labor and tribute to the imperial capital in Cusco. This, along with a civil war of succession between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, formed the context that greeted the arrival of Spanish conquistadors to the shores of Peru in the 1530s.

Conquest & Spanish Colonial Period

Beginning in 1532, Spanish soldiers under the command of Francisco Pizarro landed in Peru with the intent to conquer an empire rich in gold and silver, in much the same way Hernan Cortes had toppled the Aztec Empire (1519-21). Pizarro devised the capture of Atahualpa in Cajamarca in 1532, and then executed the Inca king. Spanish troops finally arrived in Cusco in November 1533 and installed Manco Inca Yupanqui (son of Huayna Capac) as the new puppet ruler.

In 1535, Pizarro founded the city of Lima as the capital of his newly conquered territories. In Cusco, Manco Inca escaped and organized a siege of Cusco which lasted several months but was ultimately unsuccessful. After winning an important defensive battle in Ollantaytambo in 1537, Manco Inca retreated to the outpost of Vilcabamba deep in the jungle where the neo-Inca state remained until 1572.
In 1541, Pizarro was assassinated in Lima by his former associate Diego Almagro. In 1542, Spain created the Viceroyalty of Peru, comprising most of South America except Brazil.
Peru's indigenous population declined dramatically during the early period of colonization as a result of European disease epidemics. They were also subjected to religious evangelization efforts and the labor demands of a small, newly established class of European landowners.
In 1569, the viceroy Francisco Toledo arrived to administer the colonies. He instituted wide-ranging reforms that streamlined the exploitation of non-landowning indigenous people for the next two hundred years.
In the 1700s, the Bourbon reforms sought to restore and bolster power to the Spanish Crown at the expense of native-born creole elites. But the effect was to fuel the movements for independence across the Spanish colonies.

Independence

For the vast majority of Peru's people, independence brought few changes. Political and economic positions of power were still monopolized by a minority of Spanish descended elite. Slavery was not abolished until 1845, as part of the reforms instituted by president Ramon Castilla, which also included the construction of a railway system. Additionally, guano exports revived the city's coffers and provided funds for the construction of public buildings, markets, hospitals, and prisons.
In 1873, Peru became involved in the War of the Pacific with Chile and Bolivia, each of which claimed nitrate-rich lands in the northern Atacama desert. The war ended in 1883, but not after Chilean troops invaded and occupied the capital city of Lima.

Modern Peru

At the turn of the 20th century, Lima enjoyed another period of wealth and prosperity. Lima's most iconic buildings were constructed during this time, often in an ostentatious, neoclassical style that mimicked the early colonial period. Big avenues were constructed to connect to coastal settlements such as Miraflores and Barranco.

At mid-20th century, Peru was embroiled in political and economic tumult with alternating periods of democratic regimes and military dictatorships. This was also a period of rural-to-urban migration mainly to Lima resulting in a demographic explosion concentrated in the capital. Other major cities such as Arequipa and Cusco also expanded during this time.
In 1990, Alberto Fujimori was elected president partly as a reaction against decades of political corruption and the rise of violent guerrilla movements like Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso). The leader of Shining Path, Abimael Guzman, was captured in 1992. Although many Peruvians perceived that the president's wide-ranging neoliberal reforms ushered in a period of stability, Fujimori fled to Japan in 2000 to escape charges of bribery and human rights violations. He was later extradited and sentenced to prison.

Today

In the 21st century, Peru has enjoyed a long period of political and economic stability. In 2019, the population of Peru is estimated at 32.5 million. Approximately 30% of this population (or 9.7 million) resides in the capital city of Lima.

Machu Picchu has no close rivals as the top destination in Peru. However, in recent years, Peruvian gastronomy has garnered tremendous international attention. For many travelers today, sampling Peruvian cuisine is one of the essential "musts" on a trip to Peru.

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From as far back as civilizations that predate the Inca Empire to events in the more recent centuries, the timeline of the history of Peru shines as a colorful one. Much of Peru's coast is arid desert, but many of its valleys are watered by glacial rivers and streams flowing down the western slopes of the Andes.

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Learn more about the Deforestation in Peru

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Learn more about the Deforestation in Peru

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Peru's culture is a set of beliefs, customs and way of life inherited from the native Incas, Spanish conquistadors and settlers. Immigrant groups such as Africans, Japanese, Chinese and Europeans have also contributed to the society, blend of cultures and ways in which Peruvians live. Whatever their ethnic background Peruvians agree on the importance of family and religion. In many cases generations of a family live together where the younger look after the elderly and help each other in difficult times.

Peruvians express their culture through their music, literature, art forms, dance, clothing, celebrations, religion, education, sports and clothing.

Fine Arts and Crafts

Art in Peru has been an important part of its culture for thousands of years dating back to pre-Inca times. Many skilled craftsmen continue the tradition today. Native Amerindians still spin cotton, llama, alpaca and sheep wool into yarn and weave the yarn into cloth that will be used to make clothing and other textile.Weaving is not limited to wool, residents of the floating islands of Titicaca Lake weave reeds to build the islands and the houses where they live. Weaving have distinctive colors and patterns distinguishing particular villages.

Other hand made crafts include wood carving and jewelry, specially gold and silver. Retablos from Ayacucho are colorful wooden altars with carved religious and everyday scenes and figurines. Pottery is made to reflect ancient Moche and Nazca patterns and designs. Many hand made crafts can be found in markets as souvenirs.

During the colonial period artists came from Spain and Italy and most of their art was related to religion, their paintings and sculptures are found in many churches today. Native Peruvian painters emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they were known as the Cuzco school of painters. The theme of their work was mostly religious but they also included local landscape scenery. The best known painter of the Cuzco school was Diego Quispe Tito. The nineteenth century was characterized by paintings of battles, independence war and heroes. The following century was mostly influenced by the great Mexican muralists best represented by José Sabogal. Modern art is mostly abstract and the best known modern painter is Fernando de Szyslo. The most famous Peruvian sculptor is Joaquin Roca Rey.

Music and Dance

One of the most important part of any Peruvian party, maybe after food, is music and dance. Andean music is world famous for the sweet sounds of its flutes and panpipes. String instruments introduced by the Spaniards such as charango, harps and violins complement the sounds of native drums, brass and wind instruments. Andean people have at least 300 different dances but the most popular is the huayno which is danced with vigorous stamping of the feet, dancers wear colorful costumes. Puno is the folklore capital of Peru.

Music from the coast is very different from Andean music. It is called Criollo music and has its origins in Spanish and African rhythms. The most popular criollo dance is Peruvian marinera, a traditional and graceful courtship dance performed using handkerchiefs. Its music is accompanied by cajon and guitar. One of the most popular composers and singers of criollo music was Chabuca Granda. Another new kind and popular music that emerged in the 1950s is chicha. Chicha has its origins in the shantytowns sourrounding Lima and it is named after a popular fermented corn drink. Chicha is a mix of Afro-Peruvian and Andean beats.

Peruvian food is different in each region, so what they eat depends on where they live. Cuisine from the coast is based on seafood. Dishes from the Amazon use fish available in rivers and lots of tropical fruits. Andean cuisine is based on potatoes and meat. Thousands of years ago potatoes, maize, quinoa and the meat of llamas and guinea pigs were the only resources in the Andes. Today Peruvians combine those staple foods with others introduced by Europeans to create tasty and unique dishes. Some ancient cooking methods are still used today such as pachamanca, a hole dug in the ground and covered with hot stones where meat and potatoes are cooked.

Peruvians are soccer crazy. It is the national sport played by every school age child, most popular among males than females but the majority of the population share a strong passion for "futbol". There are two main teams in Peruvian soccer, Universitario de Deportes and Alianza Lima. Both clubs have dominated soccer in Peru for decades, their rivalry ignites the passion in soccer fans. The most important achievement in futbol was when the Peruvian team qualified for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico defeating and eliminating all time favorite Argentina. In 1978 Peru qualified again for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Soccer became a passion shared by all regions and social status and not just confined in Lima.

For people who live in coastal cities a popular sport is surfing. Chicama Beach is known for having the longest waves in the world.

Bullfighting was brought to Peru by the Spaniards and continue to be a tradition. Many Peruvians are passionate about bullfighting and it is best enjoyed at Plaza de Acho, the oldest bullring in the Americas. In Plaza de Acho there are also demonstrations of caballos de paso or steppping horses, a long established tradition in coastal cities.

In every city in Peru, where there is a plaza, there is a church. Christianity was brought to Peru 500 years ago and today more than 90% of the population consider themselves Catholics. The Spaniards encountered Inca religion whose beliefs they considered pagan. The Incas worshiped stones and other natural resources, sacrificed animals and had multiple gods. Spanish priests tried to eradicate the native religion but it was mostly transformed, what is left today is a mix of values and beliefs known as syncretism. Many Amazonian tribes were not reached by the early influence of Christianity due to their remoteness. These communities have maintained their original religion. Many national holidays and festivities have their origin in religious celebrations.

Children begin preschool when they are 5 years old. There are 6 grades in primary school and 5 grades in secondary school. After that they can choose to go to university or learn job skills at a technical school. Public school is free in Peru but not all attend or those who attend drop out early. In rural areas schools are far away from home and with no public transportation it is hard for children to get an education. Aside from the inaccessibility of schools, poverty is another factor children do not attend school as they are often needed to tend the farm and animals and provide for their younger siblings. About 25% of children do not complete primary school and only 50% go to secondary school. Standards in public school are not high, teachers are paid poorly, classes are large, schools have poor infrastructure and there are shortages of textbooks and basic school supplies. Private schools are a better option but only for those who can afford them.

There are public and private universities, some of them are internationally recognized. The oldest university in the Americas, University of San Marcos, was founded in Lima in 1551. Public university students are often active in politics many times causing student strikes.

Related information

Peru's complex social system and its hierarchical values were inherited from colonial times and continue as guidelines and principles that regulate social and interpersonal behavior that have become part of the culture of Peru.

The museum is the largest and oldest public museum in Peru. It was founded in 1826 and features an extensive archeological collection of more than 100,000 items from pre-Inca cultures.

The museum has over 12,000 pieces as part of its permanent collection, some of the older pieces date back more than 3000 years.

Tags: culture, culture of Peru, peru culture, peru inca, peru society

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Peru's culture is a set of beliefs, customs and way of life inherited from the native Incas, Spanish conquistadors and settlers. Immigrant groups such as Africans, Japanese, Chinese and Europeans have also contributed to the society, blend of cultures and ways in which Peruvians live.

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My first encounter with comida Peruana was over 20 years ago, thanks to my wife's Peruvian family. Their cooking was a study in juxtaposition: hot and cold, acidic and starchy, robust and delicate. That's because Peruvian food is all about spices and big flavors, some clean and crisp, others deep and heavy. Every sip of a pisco sour tamed the citrus and chile assault of a ceviche, the fish so fresh it almost crunched between my teeth.

When most of us think of Peru, we think of the ancient ruins and high mountain vistas. Those thoughts may be accompanied by a distant pan flute whistling over the Andes, and if we've been primed on the food, the conversation usually starts with the country's mind boggling variety of potatoes.

But culinarily speaking, Peru is the Hope Diamond of Latin America, home to dishes and flavors you won't find anywhere else. While this is hardly a secret-there are more Peruvian restaurants outside Peru than ever before-it's one we don't give enough credit. Few places on earth offer such a variety of indigenous ingredients, let alone a jumble of flavors and techniques from Europe, Africa, and East Asia. Rather than remain culturally segregated, these foreign additions have blended seamlessly with ancient Peruvian cuisine into something utterly unique.

A Peruvian Primer

Peruvian cuisine has only recently exploded onto the international culinary stage, but Peruvians have always been crazy about their nation's culinary heritage, and they steadfastly cling to the traditional, multi-culti flavors of home - pit-roasted feasts and all, even in the face of modern gastronomic innovation. A range of climates, from high altitude to low, offer an impressive diversity of produce. Yes, that means potatoes-over 3800 kinds-but also a variety of corn and other grains, to say nothing of the country's native aji chilies that are often puréed into sauces.

So much of what is now traditional Peruvian cooking was inspired by cultures oceans away. These foreign influences date back to the Spanish conquest of Incan king Atahualpa in the 1500s. Colonists brought European stews, sauces, and baked casseroles. Later, in the 19th century, immigrant workers from Guangdong Province brought their woks and stir fries, and Peruvians today love to eat chifa, a fusion of local ingredients cooked with Chinese recipes and technique. It's Chinese food with Peruvian influences-or maybe the other way around.

Like food everywhere today, there is a new style of Peruvian cuisine emerging-so-called nueva comida-forged by Lima's leading chefs like Gaston Acurio and Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. "It's very ingredient-driven," explains New York chef Eric Ramirez of the soon-to-open Llama Inn and formerly of Raymi Peruvian Kitchen and Pisco Bar. "With young chefs digging deep to find more exotic ingredients, the possibilities are endless." So the evolution of the nation's food continues, into territories of modernist cooking that's simultaneously old and new.

But for now, here's a quick tour of just some of the classic edible jewels Peru has to offer. Consider it the checklist for your next trip.

Ceviche

Peru's national dish, and an immediate obsession for nearly all who try it. Though other countries may claim their own variations with shrimp, octopus, scallops, tomatoes, and even tostada chips, Peru started this cold-"cooked" fish craze with only five simple ingredients: sea bass (corvina) marinated for just minutes in lime juice, onion, salt and, of course, hot chiles (aji). The tenderness of super-fresh fish is heightened by crisp onion, and sides of starchy boiled corn (choclo) and creamy sweet potato (camote) to balance out the texture of the dish. Dry-roasted corn kernels (cancha) sprinkled around add a pleasing crunch.

The leftover marinade-known as leche de tigre (tiger's milk)-is a briny, fiery elixir often tossed back from a shot glass or spiked with Pisco, either at the table or the next morning as hair of the dog. (In the latter case it's then referred to as leche de pantera, or panther's milk). Tiradito is a local variation of classic ceviche with a Japanese sushi-style twist of slicing the fish into thin strips, then adding puréed aji amarillo, soy sauce, and mirin to the marinade.

Lomo Saltado (Stir Fried Beef)

Almost as popular as ceviche, this chifa dish represents a fusion of Chinese stir frying and classic Peruvian ingredients. Juicy strips of soy-marinated beef (or alpaca), onions, tomatoes, aji chilies, and other spices are stir-fried until the beef is just cooked and the tomatoes and onions start to form a robust, meaty gravy. It's then served with two starches, a happy mix of East and West: a mound of rice and french fries (often tossed with the meat). The crowd-pleasing dish is found nearly everywhere across Peru, and is equally popular in Peruvian restaurants abroad.

Aji de Gallina (Creamy Chicken)

Shredded chicken bathes in a thick sauce made with cream, ground walnuts, cheese, and aji amarillo. The sauce is mild but piquent, the aji's fruity, moderately hot bite softened by the nutty, creamy sauce to a comfortable warmth. The dish reflects Peru's love of sauces thickened with chilies, cheese, cream, or even bread, drenched over and often cooked with meats and vegetables. Here the sauce is mixed with the poultry and served over rice with boiled potatoes and black olives, making for a rich, bright yellow chowder that glistens on the plates of restaurants and households throughout Peru.

Papas a la Huancaina (Potatoes in Spicy Cheese Sauce)

In another instance of "meat or starch covered in creamy sauce," sliced yellow potatoes are drenched in a purée of queso fresco, aji amarillo, garlic, evaporated milk, lime juice and-you guessed it-saltine crackers. It's not a looker: a yellow sauce over yellow potatoes topped with yellow-yolked hard boiled eggs. But don't be deceived; this homely sauce packs a complex, slow-building burn, at once brightened by the queso fresco, lime, and salty cracker, and tamed by the earthy potato and cooling egg.

Usually served as a side dish to a meal, it's also a common appetiser, with tiny round purple potatoes boiled whole, enveloped by sauce and garnished with olives, eggs, and, yes, more crackers. Originating in the mountainous city of Huancayo, it's now an almost everyday staple throughout Peru.

Cuy (Guinea Pig)

One of the Andean region's most popular sources of meat (the other being alpaca), this guinea-pig-as-food strikes fear in the hearts of Westerners who think of it more as a pet than a meal. But consider tender, smoky dark meat ( almost like poultry!) beneath a glistening golden veneer of shatteringly crisp skin, and you can begin to grasp the appeal. Or think of it as a single-serving suckling pig.

The traditional recipe calls for stuffing the whole animal with local herbs, then roasting it over an open wood fire and serving it with potatoes. When served this way it tastes best with a dip of aji sauce and eaten by hand like fried chicken. But more refined restaurant-ready recipes, which may involve deep-frying or braising, are now regularly enjoyed from Cusco all the way to Lima.

Causa (Potato Casserole)

This ubiquitous Quechan dish has taken on countless European-style variations, often served as a cake roll, terrine, casserole, or in colorful individual servings. Whatever the presentation, it starts with meaty mashed yellow Peruvian potatoes blended with lime, oil and spicy aji amarillo sauce. Shredded tuna, salmon, or chicken are mixed with mayo, followed by layers of avocado, hardboiled eggs, and olives. That surface is topped again with more potato mix, and so on, making as many lasagna-like layers as one dares. This bright, barely-spicy dish is served cold as a salad course or side dish.

Rocoto Relleno (Stuffed Spicy Peppers)

Red aji rocoto chilies are stuffed with a cooked mix of ground beef, onions, garlic, olives, raisins, herbs, and spices, then topped with queso fresco and baked in an egg-and-milk sauce. Fair warning: despite its scarlet good looks, this dish is not the stuffed bell pepper you're used to-the rocoto is a little larger than a plum with a bright, fruity, tropical berry essence and almost twice the heat of an aji amarillo (or in gringo terms, about ten times hotter than an average jalapeño). So that first bite will wake you up. But the chili's initial burn is quickly tempered by the sweet and savory filling inside, and the melted queso fresco and eggy cream sauce in which it all cooks.

The rocoto chili originated in the southern region of Arequipa, and while it's now ubiquitous throughout the country, it's still hard to find beyond Peru's borders, which makes rocoto relleno a dish that homesick Peruvians pine for when abroad.

Anticuchos de Corazón (Grilled Heart)

Don't let "heart" put you off. The heart is a muscle, after all, leaner than filet mignon, bolder in flavor than a ribeye, and delicious when licked by open flames. Typically cut into one-to-two-inch cubes, the crimson heart (alpaca or beef) is marinated in vinegar, cumin, ají, and garlic and grilled over charcoal to a medium rare with slightly singed edges.

Those cubes are often served on skewers with sliced onion or potato, and drizzled with lime, which makes them popular appetizers and even more popular street food throughout the country. Today, cooks make anticuchos out of any cut of beef, and even chicken, but nothing beats the original cardiovascular version.

Arroz con Pato (Rice With Duck)

This seemingly simple Spanish Criollo recipe is a signature dish in Peru. Rice is cooked in cilantro paste, herbs, and dark beer, giving a deep, earthy flavor to the vegetal grain. A roasted thigh and leg or-if lucky-crisp-seared duck confit is added on top of a mound of the green rice. The dish is so popular, it's found on nearly every Peruvian family table as well as at the finest restaurants in Lima, and like much of Peruvian cooking, it's been adapted into countless variations of rice mixture, texture and duck parts-and even with chicken or other poultry.

Pollo a la Brasa (Roasted Chicken)

Perhaps the most well-known Peruvian food in the US due to the many take-out Peruvian chicken rotisserie joints around (see our roundup of DC's best). A whole chicken is marinated in a powerful combination of garlic, herbs, and spices before roasting on a spit, giving the bronzed, crispy skin an addictively exotic and earthy taste. Perhaps even more beloved than the chicken itself is the green huacatay (Peruvian black mint) sauce served next to it: every chicken comes with it, though the recipe often varies and is a closely-guarded secret. For some it's a creamy melange of the mint with cilantro, garlic and chili in a mayo base that Peruvians (and everyone else) goes crazy for. If you can't make it to Peru, this is definitely a classic worth making on your own.

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Essential Peruvian Food: 10 Must-Eat Dishes to Seek Out

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If you've been primed on Peruvian food, the conversation likely started with the country's mindboggling variety of potatoes. But culinarily speaking, Peru is the Hope Diamond of Latin America, home to dishes and flavors you won't find anywhere else. Here are 10 essential meals to dig into on your visit.

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Below you can find a complete list of Peruvian animals. We currently track 200 animals in Peru and are adding more every day!

Bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil and Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and the west by the Pacific Ocean, Peru is unusually rich in wildlife. Indeed, the recognition of the country's natural resources is in its very constitution, and its National System of Natural Areas was established as far back as 1900.

The great diversity of Peru's wildlife has much to do with the fact that it contains some of the Amazon rainforest and the Andes Mountains and has a coast on the Pacific Ocean. There are 1800 species of birds, 120 of which are only found in Peru, 500 types of mammals, 300 types of reptiles as well as many species of insects, cetaceans, crustaceans, fish, and seals. Unique species of animal are discovered in Peru on a regular basis, amazing when considering how many animals around the world are going extinct.

The Official National Animal of Peru

The national animal of Peru is the vicuña. Related to the llama, this animal is prized for the quality of its wool, and in ancient times only royalty was allowed to wear clothes made of vicuña wool. The vicuña is an herbivore and much of its diet is made up of the grasses found in its habitat, which are the plains and semi-arid grasslands found in Peru. It is the smallest camelid and stands less than five feet tall on average and weighs between 88 and 132 pounds.

Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Peru

Peru offers many places to find its top wild animals. They include the Ballestas Islands, which are the home of sea lions. Popular Huascarán National Park is one area to see herds vicuña as well as condors and the north Andean deer. The park also has Peru's highest point, the majestic and snow-capped Mount Huascarán.

Bahuaja-Sonene National Park's rivers and hills are home to a variety of birds, including toucans, harpy eagles, egrets, and hummingbirds. It also has the maned wolf and the puma.

In addition to the Andes Mountains, Peru also has one of the world's deepest canyons in Colca Canyon. This popular tourist site is also home to vicu˜ñas, flamingos, hummingbirds, the Andean condor, and the Andes skunk. Manú National Park has clouds and rainforests as well as grassland. At 4,241,057.9 acres, it is a World Heritage Site and is home to the Andean cock-of-the-rock, which is Peru's national bird, jaguarundi, deer, sloth, squirrel monkeys, spectacled bears, roseate spoonbills, and ocelots.

Found in the Loreto region of the country, Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve is also a popular place to see the country's wildlife. Animals include the coati, the jaguar, and the capybara, the world's largest rodent.

The Most Dangerous Animals In Peru Today

The most dangerous animals in Peru include:

Puma. This is the South American version of the cougar. It is territorial and an ambush predator. Though it's rare, the puma has been known to kill humans. These attacks are becoming more frequent as humans start to encroach on the animal's habitat. Most people killed by pumas are children.

Jaguar. Like the puma, it is unusual for a jaguar to attack and kill a human being, but it has happened. It is a big and muscular animal with a bite so powerful its teeth can pierce the shells of tortoises and the skulls of human beings.

Great White Shark. This shark is responsible for most human deaths by a shark. Humans are not the shark's usual prey, and a bite may be investigatory. However, a grown Great White is so huge that even an investigatory bite can be fatal.

Venomous Snakes. Of the hundreds of snakes in Peru, about 33 are venomous. One of the most dangerous is the fer-de-lance, or Bothrops asper. It is a pit viper and is especially dangerous because it lives close to humans and is nervous and unpredictable. It has a habit of seeming to flee then doubling back and attacking. In 2019, another venomous snake was discovered in Bahuaja Sonene National Park and named Bothrops sonene.

Endangered Animals In Peru

Though Peru is famous for protecting its unique wildlife, some animals are still threatened with going extinct. These include:

Amazon river dolphin. This mammal is endangered.

Amazonian manatee. This is the smallest of the three types of manatee that have not gone extinct and is vulnerable.

Peruvian night monkey. This little monkey is little studied but considered endangered.

Marine otter. The marine otter, unique because it lives almost exclusively in salt water, is endangered.

Peruvian Animals

Peruvian Animals List

Animals in Peru FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What kinds of animals live in Peru?
There is an amazing variety of animals that live in Peru and more are being discovered. Recently discovered animals include two kinds of beetles, a type of spiny rat, a new kind of mouse, a type of flycatcher and a pygmy frog. This frog, Noble's pygmy frog, is unique because it lays only two eggs and these eggs hatch into tiny frogs instead of tadpoles.
What is a common animal in Peru?
A common animal found in Peru is the capuchin monkey. It is a monkey that grows between 12 and 22 inches long, save its tail, and its tail is often as long as its body. It can weigh between 3 and 9 pounds and can live 25 years in the wild. The capuchin monkey lives in both the rainforest and the dry forests on the coast, and its success is probably due to the fact that it's not particular about its habitat or its diet. It's an omnivore and eats plant material as well as animals from spiders to lizards to birds all the way up to other primates.
What is the most dangerous animal in Peru?
The most dangerous animal in Peru is probably the fer-de-lance because of its aggressiveness, its proximity to human habitation, and the potency of its venom.
Is there Puma in Peru?
The puma is found in Peru. It's the second-largest big cat in Peru behind the jaguar.

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Below you can find a complete list of Peruvian animals. We currently track 200 animals in Peru and are adding more every day! Bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil and Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and the west by the Pacific Ocean, Peru is unusually rich in wildlife.

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Amazon Rainforest- Cool facts and information

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Amazon Rainforest- Cool facts and information

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Ready for an amazing outdoor adventure with Nat Geo Kids? Then check out our awesome Amazon facts as we head into the depths of the Amazon rainforest!
Amazon facts

1. The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. Covering over 5.5 million square kilometres, it's so big that the UK and Ireland would fit into it 17 times!

2. The Amazon is found in South America, spanning across Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

3. Running through the north of the rainforest is the Amazon River - a network of many hundreds of waterways that stretches 6,840km. Although there is some debate, most scientists agree that the Amazon is the world's second longest river after the River Nile.

4. In 2007, a man named Martin Strel swam the entire length of the Amazon river! To complete his splashing jungle journey, Martin powered through the water for up to ten hours a day for 66 days!

5. Around 400-500 indigenous Amerindian tribes call the Amazon rainforest home. It's believed that about fifty of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world!

6. The Amazon has an incredibly rich ecosystem - there are around 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and a whopping 2.5 million different insects. Wow!

7. The Amazon is home to a whole host of fascinating - and deadly! - creatures, including electric eels, flesh eating piranhas, poison dart frogs, and some seriously venomous snakes.

8. One fascinating fish found in the Amazon is the Pirarucu (also known as the arapaima or paiche). A menacing meat-eater, the pirarucu guzzles up other fish and can grow to nearly 3m long! And what makes it super deadly? It has teeth on the roof of its mouth and on its tongue!

9. This area of immense natural beauty plays an important role in limiting climate change. This is because the rich vegetation takes carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) out of the air and releases oxygen. You can learn more about this in our feature on the lifecycle of plants!

10. Due to the thickness of the canopy (the top branches and leaves of the trees), the Amazon floor is in permanent darkness. In fact, it's so thick that when it rains, it takes around ten minutes for the water to reach the ground!

If you liked this article, check out these awesome facts about the River Nile in Egypt! Plus, learn all about the water cycle and discover how habitat destruction is threatening Earth's rainforests.

Photos: Getty Images UK

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Check out our 10 top Amazon facts here at Nat Geo Kids! Learn all about the rainforest, the Amazon river, the creatures that live there and more...

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Peru is located in South America

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Home > About Peru > Geography

About Peru

​Geography of Peru

Peru is located in western South America between the Equator line and the Tropic of Capricorn, bordered in the west by the Pacific Ocean, in the north by Equador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia and in the south by Chile.

Area

Area: 1'285,216 km2 - 496,225 sq mi

South American ranking: 3rd

World ranking: 20th

Peru is divided into three distinct areas:

Coast: 10% of the country aera - 55% of the population

Andes mountains: 30% of the country area - 32% of the population

Jungle: 60% of the country area - 13% of the population

The coast

It is a narrow strip of extending along the Pacific Ocean, with 2,414 km (1,500 mi) long and varies in width from 5 km / 2 mi (Arequipa region in the south) and 100 km / 60 mi (northern region of Piura).

The Peruvian coast is a desert, one of the most arid in the world, despite the existence of more or less fertile valleys formed by 53 rivers descending from the Andes.

Despite being located in a tropical zone, this arid and humid climate is explained by the presence of the Humboldt Current coming from Antarctica along the Chilean and Peruvian coasts. This cold current prevents the formation of rain clouds. To the east the vast Andes mountains not allowed to pass clouds from the Amazon rainforest.

The Andes

It is the youngest mountain range (formed 70 million years ago) and the longest in the world with 7,500 km (4,660 mi). The term "Andes" derives from the Quechua word (Incas language) "Anti", the name of ethnic groups of this region, as in the prehispanic word "Antisuyo" that designates the eastern region of the Inca Empire, the Tahuantinsuyo (The Four Regions).

The Cordillera of the Andes extend from Cape Horn in the southern end of Chile and Argentina, forming a natural border between these countries, through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela almost until the Caribbean Sea in the north.

The Andes are divided into several zones, the majors in Peru are:

The Cordillera Blanca (White Range) in the center of the country 300 km (180 mi) northeast of Lima, the Volcanic Cordillera in the region of Arequipa, the Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Range) in the region of Cusco and the Altiplano (Collao Plateau) where is the Lake Titicaca, a huge and high plateau (4,000 m / 13,000 ft) of 100,000 km2 / 40,000 sq mi, which extends from southern Peru, through Bolivia and to northern Argentina and Chile.

The Highest peak of Peru is located in the Cordillera Blanca (Ancash), the Huascaran - 6,768 m (22,199 ft) a.s.l., the 3rd highest of South America after the Aconcagua in Argentina (border with Chile) - 6,962 m (22,825 ft) and the Glacier Ojos del Salado (Argentina / Chile) - 6,891 m (22,602 ft) a.s.l.

The climate of the Andes is arid on its western part along the coast and sub-tropical in the east along the Amazon jungle. The snow appears only from the 5,500 meters (18,000 ft) a.s.l.

Amazon rainforest

It is the largest part of Peru (60% of the country's area), but also the least populated with only 10% of the population.

The Peruvian jungle is the region with the most biodiversity and endemism (unique species) from the planet thanks to the variety of ecoregions and ecological levels.

The Peruvian Amazon is divided into two regions:

The Selva Baja (Lowland Junge) also known as Omagua or primary forest, is the largest region located between 80 and 400 m (260 - 1,300 ft) a.s.l., with a warm weather and high humidity.

The Selva Alta (Highland Jungle) also known as rupa rupa, located between 400 and 1,500 m (1,300 - 5,000 ft) a.s.l., with a temperate climate.

Geographic division

The geography of Peru is so complex that in 1941, the Pan American Institute of Geography and History, divided the country into 8 regions:

1 - Chala - between 0 and 500 m (0 - 1,640 ft) above sea level on the coast.

2 - Yunga - between 500 and 2,500 m (1,640 - 8,200 ft) a.s.l., on the western slope of the Andes.

3 - Quechua - between 2,500 and 3,500 m (8,200 - 11,500 ft), in the 2 slopes of the Andes.

4 - Suni - between 3,500 and 4,100 m (11,500 - 13,500 ft) a.s.l.

5 - Puna - between 4,100 and 4,800 m (13,500 - 15,750 ft), the Altiplano (Andean Highland).

6 - Janca (Cordillera) - over 4,800 m (15,750 ft) above sea level.

7 - Rupa Rupa (Highland Jungle) - between 500 and 1,500 m (1,640 - 4,900 ft) a.s.l., on the eastern slope of the Andes limit to Amazon Rainforest.

8 - Omagua (Lowland Jungle) - the vast Amazon plain under 500 m (1,640 ft) a.s.l.

Amazon river

In 1996, the Polish journalist and explorer Jacek Palkiewicz leads a multinational expedition to determine the course of the Amazon River in the department of Arequipa, southern Peru (first investigations of Commander Cousteau). The source of the river was located at one of the flanks of peak called Quehuisha (5,150 m / 16,892 ft a.s.l.) in the area called Quebrada Apacheta.

In June 2007, a Peruvian-Brazilian expedition with Peruvian investigators of IGN (National Geographic Institute) of INPE (National Institute for Space Research) and the Brazilian of ANA (National Institute of Water) confirmed Palkiewicz investigations.

This search has permitted calculate precisely the length of the Amazon River and with 7,062 km (4,388 mi), over 400 km (250 mi) longer than Nile riber in Africa (6,671 km - 4,145 mi) considered before as the longest in the world.

The Amazon River is not only the longest, is also the largest river by discharge of water in the world averaging a discharge of about 209,000 m3 / second (7,400,000 cu ft/s) greater than the next seven largest independent rivers combined (Congo, Ganges, Orinoco, Madeira, Yangtze, Negro y Rio de la Plata).

Like most of the rivers in Peru, the Amazon river changes its name depending to the regions it passes through. It is called Apurimac, Ene, Tambo, Ucayali, then meet another important river the Marañon and from the city of Iquitos (northern Peru) take the name of Amazonas to finish in the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.

Climate

With three different natural regions, the desert coast, the Andes and the jungle, the climate of Peru is very diverse, with a large variety of microclimates, including 28 of the 32 world climates. Being a tropical country, the general climate is mild, with little variation between winter and summer.

Coast

Along the 2,400 km (1,500 mi) of the Pacific Coast, it seldom rains, in Lima for example, annual rainfall is 7 mm (0.3 in) per year. These low rainfall are known as garúa (drizzle), produced by the condensation of low clouds. The variation of temperature between day and night is low.

Andes

The main features of the Peruvian Andes are the absence of snow below 4000 m (13,000 ft) a.s.l., rare between 4,000 and 5,000 m (13,000 - 16,500 ft), and large variation of temperature between day and night. Always wear warm clothes during the excursions, since about 4:00 / 5:00 pm temperature decreases rapidly 10º to 15º C. the sun shines all year and UV rays are very intense. The rainy season is between November and March, the rest of the year is dry.

Jungle

The weather if the Amazon rainforest is warm and humid, with strong, short and frequent rainfalls, more intense between December and March. The temperatures are usually between 28°C and 35°C (82º - 95º F).

El Niño

It is a cyclical weather phenomenon (every three or four years) in northern Peru, caused by a warm ocean current from Ecuador (in the north), which overlaps the cold Humboldt Current from Antarctica. The Niño affects the climate of this region and provokes rains in the desert. El Niño also influences the global climate, causing drought, for example.

The phenomenon is generally minor, but every 15 years approx can be qualified as very strong: in 1982/83 and 1997/98, the Niño has been responsible for flooding in the desert in northern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, United States, caused a severe drought in the southern Andes, South Africa, Asia and Australia, a decrease of temperature in the Amazon rainforest and the increase of hurricanes in the Pacific ocean.

Geology

Peru is located at the junction of two tectonic plates, the South American continental plate and the Nazca Plate (in the Pacific ocean).

The Nazca plate moves under the continental plate, average of 10 cm (4 in) per year, causing the formation of the Andes mountains 70 million years ago.

It is a highly seismic country and has volcanic regions mainly in the south. Peru forms part of the Pacific ring of fire.

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The 3 regions of Peru: the coast, the highlands and the jungle, its climate, the amazon river and the El Niño phenomenon.

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Explore Peru

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Discover this incredible country in our Peru facts!

Peru facts

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Peru
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional republic
CAPITAL: Lima
POPULATION: 30,147,935
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish, Quechua
MONEY: Nuevo Sol
AREA: 1,285,216 square kilometres
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes
MAJOR RIVERS: Amazon, Ucayali, Madre de Dios

The flag of Peru

The geography of Peru

Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is made up of a variety of landscapes, including mountains, deserts, rainforests and beaches. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where the capital, Lima, is located. Peru shares borders with five countries - Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.

Map of Peru

Along Peru's west coast is a narrow strip of desert 2,500km long. This region only makes up around 10 percent of the country, but it is home to more than half of the country's population. The coastal desert was first inhabited thousands of years ago by Ancient people called the Chimú and the Nasca.

Nearly half of Peru is covered by the world's largest rainforest - the Amazon. As well as thousands of fascinating plant and animal species, this huge jungle is home to hundreds of Amerindian tribes, some of which may never have seen the outside world!

The Andes mountains - the world's second highest mountain range - run through Peru, from north to south. These beautiful snow capped peaks are popular with tourists who enjoy hiking and trekking. Peru's tallest mountain is Mount Huascarán, measuring a massive 6,768m tall. Wow!

Peruvian people & culture

The people of Peru are a diverse mix of different cultures, including indigenous people, Spaniards and other Europeans, descendants of African slaves and Asians. Until recently, most people lived in the countryside, but now more than 70 percent live in cities. Most Peruvians follow the Catholic religion introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century.

Nature of Peru

Because it has so many different ecosystems, Peru is home to a wider variety of plants and animals than most other countries on Earth. For many reasons, Peruvians have not had as much of an impact on their natural world as many other countries, and so much of these ecosystems have been undisturbed.
Did you know that in just one square kilometre of Peruvian rainforest, there are more than 6,000 kinds of plants? Amazing, huh? What's more, the Amazon rainforest - which spans across Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana - is home to hundreds of species that aren't found anywhere else on Earth!

On the Pacific Coast, many interesting plant and animal species have adapted to the dry desert climate. Off the coast, the waters are cool and have a low salt content due to what's known as the Peru Current (or Humboldt Current). These waters nourish huge numbers of small fish, which in turn provide food for bigger fish and seabirds.

Peru's mountains support special types of grasses and plants, providing food for mammals like llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. One plant that grows in the Andes, the puya raimondi, grows for a hundred years before blooming!

Peruvian government & economy

Peru has a President and a national government who run the country. Presidents are elected by the people and serve for five-year terms. Unlike the UK, where people have the choice to take part in the general election, Peruvians are required to vote by law.

Peru is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. Gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead and iron are found across the country, and there are reserves of oil and natural gas, too. Even so, jobs there can be very hard to find, and Peru remains one of the world's poorest countries.

Peruvian history

Peru's earliest inhabitants date back to more than 13,000 years ago. Beginning around 1000BC, several societies developed in different parts of Peru, including the Chavín, Moche and Nazca.

One of the most important Peruvian cultures was the Inca, who lived in Peru around 600 years ago. Their capital, Cusco, is still a major city today. The Incas also built Machu Picchu (above), a famous ancient city in the Andes. Today, Machu Picchu's spectacular ruins are a popular site for tourists. The Incas thrived for centuries before being conquered by the Spanish in 1532.

Did you know we have a FREE downloadable Machu Picchu primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Photos and illustrations: Getty Images UK
Words adapted from kids.nationalgeographic.com
Figures accurate at time of publication, July 2015

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Country Fact File: Peru! | National Geographic Kids

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Discover this incredible country in our Peru facts! OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Peru FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional republic CAPITAL: Lima POPULATION: 30,147,935 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish, Quechua MONEY: Nuevo Sol AREA: 1,285,216 square kilometres MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes MAJOR RIVERS: Amazon, Ucayali, Madre de Dios Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.

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National Geographic- Learn more about Peru

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National Geographic- Learn more about Peru

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The ancient city of Machu Picchu was built by the Inca.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Peru

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional republic

CAPITAL: Lima

POPULATION: 31,331,228

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish, Quechua

MONEY: Nuevo Sol

AREA: 496,224 square miles (1,285,216 sqare kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes

MAJOR RIVERS: Amazon, Ucayali, Madre de Dios

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 of desert 1,555 miles (2,500 kilometers) long. Ancient people, called the Chimú and the Nasca, first inhabited 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, 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 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 (80 kilometers) to the west. The highest peak, Mount Huascarán, is 22,205 feet (6,768 meters) high.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

The people of Peru are a mix of many different cultures, including Indians, Spaniards and other Europeans, descendants of African slaves, and Asians. Until recently, most people lived in the countryside. But now, more than 70 percent live in cities. Most Peruvians follow the Catholic religion introduced by the Spanish.

Because it has so many different ecosystems, Peru is home to a wider variety of plants and animals than most other countries on Earth. For many reasons, Peruvians have not had as much of an impact on their natural world as many other countries, and much of these ecosystems have been undisturbed.

A 250-acre (100-hectare) plot of Peruvian rain forest is home to more than 6,000 kinds of plants! There are hundreds of species that are only found in the Amazon. To protect these plants and animals, Peru has created special forest areas called reserves.

On the Pacific Coast, many interesting plant and animal species have adapted to the dry desert climate. And off the coast, the Peru Current nourishes huge numbers of small fish, which in turn support large populations of bigger fish and seabirds, including Humboldt penguins.

Peru's mountains support special types of grasses and plants, which provide food for mammals like llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. One plant that grows in the Andes, the puya raimondi, grows for a hundred years before blooming.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Peru is a constitutional republic, with a president, a congress, and a supreme court. Peruvians are required to vote by law. Presidents serve five-year terms and can only be elected twice in a row.

Peru is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. Gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, and iron are found across the country, and there are reserves of oil and natural gas. Even so, jobs there can be very hard to find, and Peru remains one of the world's poorest countries.

Peru is a very old country. The earliest inhabitants arrived there about 15,000 years ago. Societies emerged on the west coast more than 5,000 years ago and began to spread inland. These included the Chavín, the Moche, and the Nasca.

One of the most important Peruvian cultures was the Inca, who lived in Peru around 600 years ago. Their capital, Cusco, is still a major city today. The Inca also built Machu Picchu, a famous and mysterious ancient city in the Andes. They thrived for centuries before being conquered by the Spanish in 1532.

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Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina.

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Capital: Lima
Population: 32,510,453

Brief History of Peru:
Peru was inhabited by various tribal peoples throughout most of its ancient history. In the 12th century the small city state of Cuzco was formed from a tribe of the Killkes by their leader Manco Capac. This was the start of the Inca Empire. Over the next several hundred years the Inca Empire would expand to conquer Peru, much of Ecuador, parts of Bolivia, and northern Chile. The Inca civilization was highly developed when the Spanish arrived in 1531.
Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas and captured Cuzco in 1533. The Spanish soon discovered gold and silver in the Andes Mountains and Peru became a great source of Spanish wealth and power. In 1535 Francisco Pizarro established the city of Lima. Lima became the capital of the area and is a major world city to this day. Peru declared independence in 1821. With the help of South American liberation heroes Jose de San Martina and Simon Bolivar, Peru was able to defeat the Spanish and become a free country.

The Geography of Peru
Total Size: 1,285,220 square km Size Comparison: slightly smaller than Alaska Geographical Coordinates: 10 00 S, 76 00 W World Region or Continent: South America General Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva) Geographical Low Point: Pacific Ocean 0 m Geographical High Point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes Major cities: LIMA (capital) 8.769 million; Arequipa 778,000 (2009), Trujillo, Chiclayo
The People of Peru
Type of Government: constitutional republic Languages Spoken: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain) National Holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821) Nationality: Peruvian(s) Religions: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3% (2003 est.) National Symbol: vicuna (a camelid related to the llama) National Anthem or Song: Himno Nacional del Peru (National Anthem of Peru)
Economy of Peru
Major Industries: mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas; fishing and fish processing, textiles, clothing, food processing Agricultural Products: coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish Natural Resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas Major Exports: copper, gold, zinc, crude petroleum and petroleum products, coffee Major Imports: petroleum and petroleum products, plastics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel, wheat, paper Currency: nuevo sol (PEN) National GDP: $302,000,000,000
** Source for population (2012 est.) and GDP (2011 est.) is CIA World Factbook.

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Kids learn about the Geography of Peru. The history, capital, flag, climate, terrain, people, economy, and population.

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https://www.limaeasy.com/peruvian-food-guide

http://www.discover-peru.org/peru-food/

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LimaEasy is the Lima & Peru Guide for tourists, visitors and expats. LimaEasy gives information on all you need to know about Peru's capital Lima including districts, weather, history, airport, safety, museum, historical buildings, huacas, churches, shopping and much more. Additional you find lots of useful information about Peru including money, food, earthquakes, economy, politics and social projects.