Portal:Peru

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the country in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Peru is a presidential representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon basin. It is a developing country with a medium Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 40%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles. The Peruvian population, estimated at 28 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. Template:/box-footer Graphic impression of the battle of Ollantaytambo The Battle of Ollantaytambo took place in January 1537 between the forces of the Inca emperor Manco Inca and a Spanish expedition led by Hernando Pizarro during the Spanish conquest of Peru. A former ally of the Spaniards, Manco Inca rebelled in May 1536 and laid siege to a Spanish garrison in the city of Cusco. To end the stand-off, the besieged mounted a raid against the emperor headquarters, located in the town of Ollantaytambo. The expedition was commanded by Hernando Pizarro and included 100 Spaniards and some 30,000 Indian auxiliaries against an Inca army of more than 30,000. There is some controversy over the actual location of the battle, according to John Hemming it took place in the town itself while Jean-Pierre Protzen argues that the nearby plain of Mascabamba is better match for the descriptions of the encounter. In any case, the Inca army managed to hold the Spanish forces from a set of high terraces and flood their position to hinder their cavalry. Unable to advance and severely pressed, the Spaniards withdrew by night to Cusco. Despite this victory, the arrival of Spanish reinforcements to Cusco forced Manco Inca to abandon Ollantaytambo and seek refuge in the heavily forested region of Vilcabamba where an independent Inca state survived until 1572. (more...) El Misti Photo credit: Valentin El Misti, also known as Guagua-Putina, is a dormant stratovolcano located in southern Peru near the city of Arequipa. With its seasonally snow-capped, symmetrical cone, El Misti stands at 5,822 m above sea level and lies between the mountain Chachani (6,075 m) and the volcano Pichu-Pichu (5,669 m). Its last eruption was in 1784. Fertile valleys near the foot of El Misti make its surroundings ideal for agriculture. (more...) The Siege of Cuzco (May 6, 1536 – March 1537) was the ten month siege of the city of Cuzco by the army of Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui against a garrison of Spanish conquistadors and Indian auxiliaries led by Hernando Pizarro. An Spaniard expedition led by Francisco Pizarro had captured the Inca capital of Cuzco on November 15, 1533 after defeating an Inca army headed by general Quisquis. The following month, the conquistadors supported the coronation as Inca emperor of Manco Inca to facilitate their control over the empire. However, real power rested with the Spaniards who frequently humiliated Manco Inca and imprisoned him after an attempted escape in November 1535. After his release in January 1536, Manco Inca managed to leave Cuzco on April 18 promising the Spanish commander, Hernando Pizarro, to bring back a large gold statue when in fact he was already preparing a rebellion. (more...) More anniversaries... August 2, 2011 Peru government to ration energy in north. Reuters August 1, 2011 Peru to beef up state energy companies -minister. Reuters July 28, 2011 Ollanta Humala is sworn in as new Peru president. BBC July 28, 2011 Pisco sours and ceviche for Peruvian Independence Day. CNN July 26, 2011 Peru renews $5 bln shelf registration for new govt. Reuters Template:/box-footer Main square in Lima ...that the city of Lima (pictured) flourished in the 17th century as the center of a trade network which extended as far as Europe and the Philippines? ...that Alejandro Toledo led the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori and was elected as president in the 2001 general election? ...that the Peru national football team withdrew from the 1936 Berlin Olympics after its victory over Austria was annulled? ...that in the Quechua language sentences are marked by an evidential suffix which indicates how certain the speaker is about his statement? ...that soprano Yma Sumac became an international success based on the merits of her extreme vocal range? Peru Culture • Architecture • Art • Cinema • Literature • Music • Cuisine • Dances • Media • National symbols • Sport Economy • Agriculture • Energy • Mining • Tourism • Companies • Currencies • Trade unions Geography • Geology • Landforms • Natural disasters • Populated places • Protected areas • Subdivisions Government • Foreign relations • Political office-holders History • Andean • Inca • Colonial • Military • Disasters • Elections • Massacres • Historians • Revolutionaries Politics • Elections • Political parties • Politicians Society • Crime • Demographics • Ethnic groups • Languages • ReligionTemplate:/box-footer Assess and prioritise articles (log) Check for copyvios at Special:Contributions/Priscilla D, tag as {{Db-copyvio}} where appropriate Create: Expand: new articles; top importance articles FAC / FLC: Peru national football team GAN: Merge requests: Amazonas before the Inca Empire, Chachapoyas culture Review: Shining Path, Universitario de Deportes Translate: National University of San Marcos 15px Work on Lima, the current article improvement drive Wikify: articles needing attentionTemplate:/box-footer Template:/box-footer Template:/box-footer Template:/box-footer The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: What are portals? 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