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Peru
is the third largest country in South America. In area,
Peru is more than five times as large as the United
Kingdom. It's bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia,
to the east by Brazil and Bolivia, to the south by Chile
and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is frequently
known as the "land of the Inca." The Inca are among
the most studied of all the pre-Columbian cultures of
South America. In actuality, the Inca were the last
in a series of Peruvian civilizations that spanned many
thousands of years. In addition to the Inca, Peru was
home to many pre-Colombian cultures. Many of the ruins
of these early cultures still exist. |
The
Duncan Group completed a production on Peru for the Mystic
Lands series called PERU: Kingdom In the Clouds. The Duncan
Group is currently in production on a second Peru program
currently titled Hiking The Inca Trail. Please click here
for more information on Hiking The Inca Trail. We've also
included an extensive interview on this site with Andean
shaman Victor Estrada. For the Victor Estrada interview.
<Click here>
Here
are some fun facts, key words and people related to the
history and spirituality of Peru:
-
Cuzco - To the Inca, the capital city of Cuzco
was the "navel of the world," both a holy place and the
heart of their empire. It is the archaeological capital
of the Americas and the continent's oldest continually inhabited
city.
-
Inca - The Inca had no written language and their
history was entirely oral. The Inca built approximately
10,000 miles of paved footpaths to connect their sprawling
empire which is now called "The Inca Trail." These roads
were often constructed across steep mountain ridges and
through dense jungles. Sturdy suspension bridges were an
integral part of this road network.
-
Inca Empire - At its peak, the Inca empire stretched
2,000 miles along the west coast of South America from what
is now southern Colombia to central Chile - an area nearly
as third as big as Europe. The rise and fall of the Inca
Empire (1438-1532) was a mere 100 years. The empire fell
to the hands of Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizzaro.
Many would argue that the Inca's greatest surviving monument
is the temple of Machu Picchu.
-
Lake Titicaca - This lake is often considered
the highest navigable lake in the world. More than 170 km
in length, Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America
and the largest lake in the world above 2000 meters altitude.
It's fifteen times the size of Switzerland's Lake Geneva
and slightly larger and higher in elevation than Lake Tahoe
in the United States.
-
Machu Picchu - Known as the "lost city of the
Inca," Machu Picchu was a sacred ceremonial center of the
Inca. It is located high in the Andean Mountains at roughly
8,500 feet above sea level. Abandoned by the Inca about
the time of the Spanish conquest, the ruins of Machu Picchu
lay undiscovered for nearly four centuries. Covered with
jungle growth, Machu Picchu's location was known only by
local farmers until 1911 when American explorer and historian
Hiram Bingham re-discovered the ruins while searching for
the lost city of Vilcabamba. Many consider Machu Picchu
the most spectacular archaeological site of the South American
continent.
-
Urubamba River - The Urubamba River cuts through
Peru's Sacred Valley and passes near the Inca ruins of Pisac
and Ollantaytambo. According to Inca legend, the Urubamba
flows into the Milky Way. The Inca believed that the river
valley was a reflection of the cosmos and the river was
a pathway to knowledge and enlightenment.
For
additional information about The Duncan Group, the Mystic
Lands series, or Wisconsin, please contact Patty@DuncanEntertainment.com.
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