Explore Peru

Each month at Mommy Maleta we explore the world one suitcase at a time alphabetically. So our very first month we learned about Australia because it begins with the letter A. Next we learned about Brazil because it begins with the letter B. See what I mean? Great.

We spend 4 weeks exploring each feature country. The routine looks like this…

Week 1 – map, flag, country facts
Week 2 – interview
Week 3 – craft
Week 4 – recipe

This week we are ready to travel to a country that begins with the letter “P”. We are headed to the third largest country in South America to explore Peru.

Peru’s National Flag

Country Facts

1. Size: 496,222 Square Miles or 1,285,216 Square Kilometers

2. Population: 29,849,303

3. Capital City: Lima

4. Largest Religion: Christian (Operation World)

5. Currency: Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN)
On March 12, 2015: 1 United States Dollar (USD) = 3.097 Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN)

6. Languages: Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other 0.2%

7. Highest Point: Nevado Huascarán 6,768 m – There are 27 peaks over 6,000 meters in The Huascarán National Park.

The Inca Empire

8. About 600 years ago the Incas lived in Peru. The Inca Empire was the largest and wealthiest of all the ancient civilizations in Peru. The Inca capital was a city called Cusco. It is still a major city that you can see in the map above. The Incas also built a famous, ancient city called Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains. Machu Picchu is a modern day tourist attraction. Take a virtual tour of the Inca Trail to find out more.

Animals In Peru

9. Llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas are animals that live in Peru. They are suited to live in the Andes Mountains and are relatives of camels. Llamas are useful for transportation. Alpaca fiber is soft and makes fine yarn. Vicuñas, the smallest of the three animals, are a protected species that live in the wild and produce a very, small amount of soft, valuable wool. They can only be shorn once every three years and vicuña yarn costs $2,000-$3,000 a yard!

People Eat What?

10. I have to finish off this fun fact list by telling you that people in Peru eat cuy. That my friends, is better known to you and me as guinea pig. In college when I traveled to Ecuador, the country directly north of Peru, my class had the privilege of being served guinea pig on a large platter. Not only that, during class one afternoon I sat on a bench in a village that sat atop a pile of banana leaves. And do you know what I heard rustling and squeaking around amongst those leaves? You guessed it. Lots of guinea pigs who had not yet met their fate. Since that trip, I immediately crossed guinea pigs off my list of potential pets. I checked Flickr and there are lots of photos of these little guys on platters, but I decided to take it easy on you in case that would upset any kiddos who have pet guinea pigs.

I am so glad we could explore Peru together today. I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit about past and present life in the Andes. Be sure to subscribe to Mommy Maleta so you won’t miss upcoming posts including a featured interview about life in Peru, a Peruvian craft, and a traditional recipe. As always, thanks so much for exploring the world with me one suitcase at a time.

What did you learn about Peru today?

This post is linked up over at… Smart Schoolhouse , Sincerely Paula , With A Blast ,Cornerstone Confessions , Social Media Saturdays , Laugh & Learn Link Up , Castleview Academy, All Things With Purpose , Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop, Bowl Full Of Lemons, Jennifer Dawn, Strangers & Pilgrims On Earth , Mom Resource, Three Kids And A Fish