History And Geography

History

Peru is perhaps the richest country in South America in terms of archeology. Archeological excavations have unearthed many artifacts that help in understanding the history, lifestyle, and culture of Peru dating back to thousands of years. Artifacts found in the Piquimachay cave at Ayacucho date back to 20,000 to 10,000 BC, which indicates that the region was inhabited by humans even at that time. Agricultural farmlands first came into existence in the region in 5000-4000 BC and the main crops cultivated at that time included cotton, beans, corn, chili and squash. Between 1300 BC and fifteenth century AD, many tribes flourished in the area such as Chavín, Paracas, Mochica, Nazca, Tiahuanaco, Wari, Chimú, Chincha and Chanka.

Peru is well known for its association with the Inca civilization, which flourished in the country and visitors are often amazed when they visit ‘Machu Picchu', which is considered as the main center of the Incas. The Incas arrived in the region during the fifteenth century AD and conquered the region after defeating the local Andean people. They were instrumental in fostering the most advanced of ancient American civilizations.

Starting from the capital Cusco, the Inca Empire spread to other neighboring regions such as Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. The most powerful of all Inca rulers was ‘Pachacutec', who was a great conqueror and builder. The downfall of the Inca civilization started when prince Huascar and price Atahualpa started a war for the kingdom after the death of their father and ruler, Huayna Capac. In 1532, the Spanish conqueror, Francisco Pizarro, took advantage of the situation and managed to deceive and execute Atahualpa. The Incas fought against the Spanish forces for nearly forty years, but were eventually defeated due to the lack of a powerful leader.

After completely putting an end to the Inca occupation, Pizarro founded Lima, which has been referred to as the ‘City of Kings' since that time. Lima became the main center of political, social and commercial events in Peru as well as in South America. The existing Inca people were often abused and exploited, which resulted in many rebellions against the Viceroyalty of Peru. One such rebellion was orchestrated under the leadership of Inca noble, Tupac Amaru II in 1780, but the rebellion was crushed and Tupac Amaru along with other leaders was executed in Cusco. The execution further fuelled the desire of the local people for emancipation and in 1821, the local people got help from the Argentinian General Jose de San Martin who declared independence on June 28, 1821. Helped by the Venezuelan Liberator Simon Bolivar, the royalty was finally defeated in the decisive battle of Ayacucho on December 9, 1824. The country has remained independent ever since.

Geography

Peru is spread over an area of 798,633 square miles. The country shares its borders with Ecuador and Columbia in the north, Brazil and Bolivia in the east, and Chile in the south. The west side of the country is flanked by the Pacific Ocean. It has a population of more than 27 million inhabitants who speak Spanish along with other languages such as Quechua or Aymara and other native languages.

Most parts of the country are characterized by moist tropical jungles of the Amazon Rain Forest, the largest on Earth. Peru is home to Lake Titicaca, which is the highest navigable lake in the world and is located in the southeast part of Peru, along the border with Bolivia. The most prominent natural landmark in Peru is probably the Andes mountain range that stretches from the north to the south. The southeast region of Peru is home to the Altiplano plateau, which is a dry basin situated along the slopes of the Andes. The Atacama Desert, which is the driest place in the world, is located along the Chilean border. A large variety of sea life is found in the Peruvian Sea, which is bordered by the Sechura desert in northwestern Peru along the Pacific coastline. The country also has many rivers namely Ucayali, Maranon, Amazon, Putumayo, Pastaza, Napo, Jurua, and the Purus.

Peru is politically divided into 24 departments and a single constitutional province. The main cities of Peru are Arequipa, Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Callao, Cusco, Piura, Tacna, Ica, Puno, Chimbote, Huancayo, Cajamarca, Pucallpa, and Iquitos.