Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful time to learn about the diverse countries of Latin America. Peru has a particularly rich history and culture to explore with kids. Here are 10 fascinating facts about Peru you may not have known!
10 Fascinating Facts about Peru!
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The Incas have been growing potatoes for at least 8000 years. The Spaniards brought potatoes back to Europe in the 1500s, and today it is the world’s fourth-largest food crop. There are over 3,000 different varieties grown in Peru!
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The Amazon River is the longest river in the world. The source is found high in the Peruvian Andes and ends over 3,278 miles (6,000 km) away in the Atlantic Ocean.
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According to studies by NASA, the Atacama Desert (on the coast of southern Peru and northern Chile) is the driest desert in the world. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain. Evidence suggests that the Atacama Desert may not have had any significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971!
Native to the Andes, the condor is the world’s largest flying bird. When standing up, it is can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 m) high; when it opens its wings, the wingspan is 10 feet (3 m)!!! Condors were considered a sacred bird by the Incas, and now are listed as “vulnerable” by the World Conservation Union.
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The Cotahuasi Canyon (near Colca and Arequipa) is the deepest canyon in the world; at 3535m, it is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States! In the picture above, you can see a wild condor flying above the canyon.
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Machu Picchu is located high up in the mountains outside of Cuzco. This city was built in the 1450s but was abandoned after only 100 years. It lay under the rainforest’s plants for nearly 400 years until a local farmer showed Hiram Bingham where it was located in 1911.
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The Incan empire at its peak was larger than the Roman Empire! The Incas had 24,855 miles (40,000 km) of roads. A network of chasquis (runners) who were stationed a couple of kilometers apart throughout the mountains, could relay a message or bring a fresh fish from the coast to Cuzco in 24 hours.
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The largest lake in South America is Lake Titicaca, located between Peru and Bolivia. It is also the highest navigable lake in the world with an elevation of its surface is 3,812 meters.
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Although Spanish is the official language of Peru, many people also (or exclusively) speak Quechua, Aymara, or numerous other indigenous languages.
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Three million years ago animals that were similar to llamas migrated throughout South America. About 4000 years ago, people in what is now Peru domesticated the llamas in the Andean highlands. Although they cannot carry extremely heavy cargo, they are surefooted in the rocky mountains, and a herd can be easily managed by a single shepherd. (Learn more about llamas here!)
What facts about Peru would you add to this list?
We are so excited for our FIFTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Through the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway and link up your own posts on Hispanic Heritage!
September 14
Hanna Cheda on Multicultural Kid Blogs: How to Pass on Hispanic Heritage as an Expat
September 15
Spanish Mama: Los Pollitos Dicen Printable Puppets
September 16
Hispanic Mama: Children’s Shows that Kids in Latin America Grew Up With
September 19
Spanish Playground: Authentic Hispanic Heritage Month Games Everyone Can Play
September 20
Tiny Tapping Toes: Exploring Instruments for Hispanic Heritage Month
September 21
Kid World Citizen on Multicultural Kid Blogs
September 22
Spanish Mama
September 23
All Done Monkey
September 26
Crafty Moms Share
September 27
Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes
September 28
La Clase de Sra. DuFault
September 29
Embracing Diversity
September 30
Mama Tortuga
October 3
Hispanic Mama on Multicultural Kid Blogs
October 4
La Clase de Sra. DuFault
October 5
Pura Vida Moms
October 7
Spanglish House
October 10
Mundo Lanugo
October 11
Kid World Citizen
October 12
MommyMaestra
October 13
inspired by familia
October 14
El Mundo de Pepita on Multicultural Kid Blogs
Don’t miss all of the great posts from previous years as well: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!
Giveaway begins September 14 and goes through October 14, 2016.
Enter below for a chance to win one of these amazing prize packages! Some prizes have shipping restrictions. In the event that a winner lives outside the designated shipping area, that prize will then become part of the following prize package. For more information, read our full giveaway rules.
Grand Prize
-Month of free access to online Spanish home learning program from Calico Spanish
-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
-Spark important conversations about diversity, inclusivity and acceptance with award-winning Barefoot Books! Collection includes Barefoot Books World Atlas, The Barefoot Book of Children, Children of the World Memory Game, The Great Race, Mama Panya’s Pancakes, Off We Go to Mexico, Up and Down the Andes, We all Went on Safari, We’re Sailing Down the Nile, We’re Sailing to Galapagos US & Canada Shipping Only
–Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
–Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
–A Child’s Life in the Andes e-book plus music CD from Daria Music
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
–Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only
First Prize
-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
–Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
–Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
–Olinguito, from A to Z! (bilingual) by Lulu Delacre, Rafi and Rosi by Lulu Delacre, Mamá the Alien (bilingual) y René Colato Laínez and illustrated by Laura Lacámara, Marisol MacDonald and the Monster (bilingual) by Monica Brown from Lee & Low Books US Shipping Only
-Ecuador Themed International Cooking Box from Global Gastronauts US Shipping Only
–Ora de Despertar Ladino Children’s Music CD from Sarah Aroeste Hard copy if US winner; digital if international winner
–T-shirt of choice from Mundo Lanugo US Shipping Only
–Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only
Second Prize
-If You Were Me and Lived in… series, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Portugal books from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
–Aquí Allá CD from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band US Shipping Only
-Animales CD from 123 Andrés US Shipping Only
-Best of the Bowl CD from Hot Peas ‘N Butter US Shipping Only
–Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina (hard cover), El fútbol me hace feliz by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Lauren Castillo (paperback), Blankie/Mantita by Leslie Patricelli (board book) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
-Hola Hello CD with lyrics in digital format from Mariana Iranzi
-T-shirt of choice (or equal value $18) from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only
-Scarves, coin purse and painted wood bracelets from Nicaragua, and a map puzzle of Central America from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
–Culture Chest with the theme “Dancing in September” for Hispanic Heritage Month. Includes bilingual books Tito Puente, Mambo King and Me llamo Celia Cruz, both by Monica Brown and Rafael Lopez US Shipping Only
–Spanish Alphabet Print (US Shipping Only) and single-use promo code for Spanish for kids language app from Gus on the Go
–Latin GRAMMY-winning album Los Animales from Mister G US Shipping Only
Bonus Prize
Piñata from Piñatas de Laly Europe Shipping Only
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This was a really fun list to read! One thing that stood out to me from my trip to Peru was eating potatoes on a rural farm that had been cooked in the ground! They dug a pit in the ground to put the potatoes in, heated the dirt with fire and then piled it on top of the potatoes to cook. Such a wonderful country to visit . . . met so many amazing people there too.
Great post! Our family is moving to Peru soon and I’ll be so excited to start exploring in person!