Country of the Week: Peru

The Republic of Peru is a country located in the west of South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. It has a population of 32.5 million people, with its capital Lima being the most populated city. The nation is known for its truly beautiful and varied landscapes, meals like “ají de gallina” that you have to try, its breath-taking and history rich Machu Picchu built by the Incas, and llamas!

Peru has Rainbow Mountains! They are near Cusco in Peru, and the place is known as Vinicunca. In 2015, they were discovered after the snow covering them melted. You may wonder, how were these mountains formed? Well, it was a “combination of weathering, environmental conditions and sedimentary deposits over time” (NBC, 2019). The different colors are due to different minerals and their exposure to the environment.

The biggest tourist attraction of Peru, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is what many people know as Machu Picchu! The site is located high atop the Andes Mountains, almost 8,000 meters above sea level, so high that it is difficult to believe this was built by Incas in the mid-1400s. This magical place has “agricultural terraces, plazas, residential areas, and temples” (Tikkanen, A., n.d).

Another attraction in this country is the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the world with 3400m at its deepest point. The place is better accessed through Peru’s second most populous city, Arequipa. Extreme adventurers can book and hop on the 600 meter zip-line that goes between the canyon walls, frightening yet exciting!

The Quechua people live in Peru, who are part of one of the indigenous groups in the country. They live high in the Andes mountains, undisturbed by the Incas. However, when the Inca empire was conquered by the Spanish, they were forced to work for them and ended up as servants. Nowadays, they live as farmers, isolated in the Andes and handicrafting for their use and to sell.

As mentioned earlier, Peru is known for its varied landscapes, and guess what? One of them is the Sechura Desert! It comes in contact with the Pacific Ocean to the west and meets with the Andes to the east. It is habitat to animals such as the Sechurian fox and the Peru Pacific iguana. How many more types of scenery does this place have?!

Random Facts

Peru is home to the potato. More than 3,000 types are grown there!

Ancient Incas are said to have created the first census. They did not have a writing system so what they did was use knots called “quipus”, made from wool or cotton strings fastened at one end to a cross cord. Each quipus was unique in size or color to represent details like crop measures, thefts, debts, and other events.

Peruvians eat cuy, which is basically roasted guinea pig. The dish is served with legs, head, and feet included.

You can see penguins in Peru! They are found in the northern Pacific Coast.

You can swim with pink dolphins, they are found in the Amazon Forest part of Peru!

Head here for more interesting facts about this magnificent country! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/50-fun-facts-you-probably-never-knew-about-peru_b_58507beee4b0a464fad3e4b5

Taylor, C. (2019, October 28). Instagrammers rave about Peru’s “Rainbow Mountain.” Here’s what it really looks like. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from CNBC website: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/28/what-rainbow-mountain-in-peru-really-looks-like.html

Nace, T. (2017, January 21). Welcome To The Incredible Rainbow Mountains Of Peru. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/01/21/welcome-rainbow-mountains-peru/?sh=d67bfc96f70c

Machu Picchu | History, Facts, Maps, Elevation, Country, & Photos | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Machu-Picchu

‌Sainsbury, B. (2012). Exploring Peru’s epic Colca Canyon. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Bbc.com website: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20121012-exploring-perus-epic-colca-canyon

Penguins in Peru - penguins of Peru. (2021). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Seabirds.org website: http://www.seabirds.org/peru-penguins.htm#:~:text=Humboldt%20penguins%20are%20found%20along,and%204%2C000%20pairs%20in%20Peru

One Earth. (2021). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from One Earth website: https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/sechura-desert/‌

Adventure, culture and food: 9 things Peru is famous for - Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. (2019, July 22). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website website: https://olympic.ca/2019/07/22/adventure-culture-and-food-10-things-peru-is-famous-for/

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2016, April 19). Quechua. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quechua

Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, August 4). Peru. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru#/media/File:PER_orthographic.svg

File:Machu Picchu, Peru.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2007, August 25). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikimedia.org website: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Machu_Picchu,_Peru.jpg

Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, July 14). Quechua people. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quechua_people#/media/File:Andean_Man.jpg

Imagen gratis: bandera, Perú. (2016). Retrieved August 6, 2021, from PIXNIO - Imágenes de Dominio Público website: https://pixnio.com/es/banderas-del-mundo/bandera-peru

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