Description
Welcome to Quare, the educational podcast for young and old alike. Today, in the Geography category, our episode is dedicated to Peru.
What is Peru?
Peru is a large country in South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and sharing borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. It's the third largest country in South America. Its capital is Lima, a megacity of more than ten million people on the Pacific coast.
And what is it known for?
First and foremost for Machu Picchu, the Inca city perched at 2,400 meters in the Andes, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. But also for the Nazca Lines, huge drawings etched into the desert and only visible from the air, whose meaning is still not known for certain.
Peru is also famous for its extreme landscapes: Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, the Amazon rainforest, and the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.
What's the history of Peru?
Peruvian territory has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years. Several civilizations followed one another there, including the Nazca culture, famous for its lines, and the Wari culture. But the greatest was the Inca Empire, called Tawantinsuyu, which stretched from present-day Chile to Colombia. It was one of the largest empires in history, governed from Cuzco.
Weren't they colonized?
Oh yes, by the conquistadors. In 1532, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro arrived with just a few hundred soldiers and managed to destroy the Inca Empire, which had been weakened by an internal civil war. The Inca ruler Atahualpa was captured, a huge ransom in gold and silver was paid, and he was executed anyway. It's one of the most brutal conquests in history.
And independence?
Peru declared its independence in 1821, thanks in large part to the liberator José de San Martín, an Argentine general who had already liberated Argentina and Chile. The liberation of the continent was completed by Simón Bolívar, the great liberator of all of South America.
Who runs Peru today?
Peru is a democratic republic. The president is elected for five years. Peruvian political life is often turbulent: the country has had many presidents, corruption scandals, and repeated political crises. This contrasts with the country's relative economic stability.
What language do they speak there?
Spanish is the main official language. But Quechua, the language of the Incas, is also an official language and is spoken by millions of people, especially in the Andes. Aymara is also present around Lake Titicaca. Peru is home to more than 40 different Indigenous languages.
What currency is used there?
The official currency is the Peruvian sol.
What is Peru's geography like?
Peru is a country with extremely varied landscapes. There are three main regions: the Costa, a desert coastal strip along the Pacific; the Sierra, the Andes with their snow-capped peaks, valleys, and high plateaus called puna; and the Selva, the Amazon rainforest, which covers more than 60% of the territory.
The highest point is Huascarán, at 6,768 meters. The Amazon River has its sources in Peru, in the Andes, before crossing Brazil all the way to the Atlantic.
What is Lake Titicaca?
It's the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world, at 3,812 meters above sea level, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Uros communities live there on floating islands made of reeds. It's a fascinating sight.
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