What does Peru bring
to my mind? Well, the word Peru brings
with it a lot of heritage, history and culture with it. The world knows Machu -
Pichu as UNESCO Heritage site (the seven wonders’ of the world), the
Inca’s etc. It is quite clear to us that America is an enormous country
and it takes a lot of time to cover the east and the western coast. Peru is that wonderful country that exists
on the western coast surrounded by Ecuador , Colombia , Brazil , Bolivia and Chile . I have researched, refrerred
to wikipedia but my study is not only limited to one website. It incorporates
historical, geographical, cultural features and cuisine of Peru . A must
visit for a travel enthusiast.
Pronunciation and Etymology
The word Peru has origins in
various Southern French and North Western Spain languages (Occitan) and also
found in the Corsican country, however to the Europeans the word Peru was the
most suited to replace the original name Birú, the name of a local ruler who
lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama, in the early 16th century. When his
possessions were visited by Spanish explorers in 1522, they were the
southernmost part of the New World yet
known to Europeans. Thus, when Francisco Pizarro explored the regions farther
south, they came to be designated Birú or Peru .
The Spanish Crown gave the name
legal status with the 1529 Capitulación de Toledo ,
which designated the newly encountered Inca Empire as the province of Peru Republic of Peru
Introduction
Present Peru
Peruvian territory was home to
ancient cultures spanning from the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest
in the world, to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America.
The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a
Viceroyalty with its capital in Lima ,
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. Economic cycles have mostly been based on the
extraction of raw materials like guano (1840s-1860s) and rubber (ca. 1900).
The Peruvian population,
estimated at 30.4 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. This
mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions
in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.
Regions
Names of Regions
Art , Culture, Architecture, Music and Festivals in Peru
The culture of Peru was
shaped by the relationship between Hispanic and Amerindian
cultures. The ethnic diversity and rugged geography of Peru allowed
diverse traditions and customs to co-exist. The coastal European
influenced Peru
Peruvian architecture is a
conjunction of European styles exposed to the influence of indigenous imagery.
Two of the most well-known examples of the Early Colonial period are the
Cathedral of Cusco and the Church of Santa Clara of Cuzco. After this period,
the mestization reached its richer expression in the Baroque. Some examples of
this Baroque period are the Convento de San Francisco, the Iglesia de la
Compañía, and the facade of the University of Cuzco and, overall, the churches
of San Agustín and Santa Rosa of Arequipa.
The Independence War left a
creative emptiness that was filled by the Neoclassicism of the French. The 20th
century was characterized by the eclectic architecture, which has been in stark
opposition to constructive functionalism. Its considerable example is San Martin Plaza in Lima .
Peruvian music is an amalgamation
of sounds and styles drawing on the Peru 's Andean music roots and influenced
by Quechua, Aymara and Spanish music.Popular celebrations are the product of
every town's traditions and legends. These celebrations include music, meals
and typical drinks. In addition to the religious celebrations like Christmas
and Corpus Christi ,
there are others that express the syncretism of the indigenous beliefs with the
Christians. An example is the Marinera which is one of the main dances found
in Peru .
Many families find it fascinating to watch a performance. They also have a
guinea pig festival each year.
Cuisine of Peru
Peruvian cuisine reflects local
practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous Inca and
cuisines brought in with immigrants such as Spanish cuisine, Chinese
cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine, Japanese cuisine and African
influences. Without the familiar ingredients from their home
countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients
available in Peru .
The three traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes,
and chili peppers. Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat
and meats (beef, pork and chicken). Many traditional foods—such as quinoa,
kaniwa, some varieties of chili peppers, and several roots and tubers have
increased in popularity in recent decades, reflecting a revival of interest in
native Peruvian foods and culinary techniques. Chef Gaston Acurio has become
well known for raising awareness of local ingredients. There are wide variety
of sweets and drinks which one can taste and enjoy in Peru .
The details of the same can be found on your tab, just click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_cuisine
Peru has a varied cuisine with
ingredients like maize, tomato, potatoes, uchu or Ají (Capsicum pubescens),
oca, ulluco, avocado, fruits like chirimoya, lúcuma and pineapple, and animals
like taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), llama and guinea pig (called cuy). The
combination of Inca and Spanish culinary traditions, resulted in new meals and
ways of preparing them. The arrival of African and Chinese immigrants in the
19th century also resulted in the development of Creole cuisine in the city
of Lima ,
where the vast majority of these immigrants settled.
Some typical Peruvian dishes are
ceviche (fish and shellfish marinated in citrus juice), chupe de camarones (a
soup made of shrimp known as cryphiops caementarius), anticuchos (cow's heart
roasted en brochette), olluco con charqui (a casserole dish made of ulluco and
charqui), pachamanca (meat, tubers and beans cooked in a stone oven), lomo
saltado (meat fried lightly with tomato and onion, served with french fries and
rice) that has a Chinese influence, and the picante de cuy (a casserole dish
made of fried guinea pig with some spices). Peruvian food can be accompanied by
typical drinks like the chicha de jora (a chicha made of tender corn dried by
the sun). There are also chichas made of purple corn or peanuts.
Some snapshots of Peruvian Cuisine
Alpaca with aguaymanto sauce
Ocopa - a dish of Peru
Inca Cola – a popular
drink
Pisco Sour – a popular drink.
Alfajores
Ceviche de poulpo
Literature of Peru –
The Peruvian literature has its
roots in the oral traditions of pre-Columbian Los Comentarios Reales de los
Incas, published in 1609. After independence, the monarchy wrote a book that
spoke to all of the people. Costumbrism and Romanticism became the most common
literary genres, as exemplified in the works of Priests. In the early 20th
century, the Indigenismo movement produced such writers as Ciro Alegría, José
María Arguedas, and César Vallejo. José Carlos Mariátegui's essays in the 1920s
were a turning-point in the political and economic analysis of Peruvian
history. During the second half of the century, Peruvian literature became more
widely known because of authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, a leading member of
the Latin American Boom.
Geography and Tourism in Peru
The history of Peru Asia and survived as nomads, hunting, gathering
fruits and vegetables and fishing in the sea, rivers and lakes. Peruvian
territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the six oldest in
the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America Spain in
1821 but consolidated only after the Battle
Most Peruvian rivers originate in
the peaks of the Andes and drain
into one of three basins. Those that drain toward the Pacific
Ocean are steep and short, flowing only intermittently.
Tributaries of the Amazon River are
longer, have a much larger flow, and are less steep once they exit the sierra.
Rivers that drain into Lake Titicaca are
generally short and have a large flow. Peru's longest rivers are the
Ucayali, the Marañón, the Putumayo, the Yavarí, the Huallaga, the Urubamba, the
Mantaro, and the Amazon.
History of Peru
Juan Mauricio Rugendas - Study
for Lima ’s Main Square
The earliest evidences of human
presence in Peruvian territory have been dated to approximately 9,000 years
BCE. The oldest known complex society in Peru ,
the Norte Chico civilization, flourished along the coast of the Pacific Ocean between 3,000 and 1,800 BCE. These
early developments were followed by archaeological cultures such as Cupisnique,
Chavin, Paracas, Mochica, Nazca, Wari, and Chimú. In the 15th century,
the Incas emerged as a powerful state which, in the span of a
century, formed the largest empire in pre-Columbian America
In December 1532, a party of
conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro defeated and captured Inca Emperor
Atahualpa. Ten years later, the Spanish Crown established the Viceroyalty of
Peru, which included most of its South American colonies. Viceroy Francisco de
Toledo reorganized the country in the 1570s, with silver mining as its main
economic activity and Amerindian forced labor as its primary workforce.
Peruvian bullion provided revenue
for the Spanish Crown and fueled a complex trade network that extended as far
as Europe and the Philippines .
However, by the 18th century, declining silver production and economic
diversification greatly diminished royal income. In response, the Crown enacted
the Bourbon Reforms, a series of edicts that increased taxes and partitioned
the Viceroyalty. The new laws provoked Túpac Amaru II's rebellion and other
revolts, all of which were quashed.
Since its independence in
1821, Peru 's bustling
center of commerce and political power has remained at Lima . In the early 19th century, while most
of South America was swept by wars of independence, Peru remained
a royalist stronghold. As the elite vacillated between emancipation and loyalty
to the Spanish Monarchy, independence was achieved only after the occupation by
military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar.During the early years
of the Republic, endemic struggles for power between military leaders caused
political instability.
Peruvian national identity was
forged during this period, as Bolivarian projects for a Latin American
Confederation floundered and a union with Bolivia proved ephemeral.
Between the 1840s and 1860s, Peru enjoyed a period of
stability under the presidency of Ramón Castilla through increased state
revenues from guano exports. However, by the 1870s, these resources had been
depleted, the country was heavily indebted, and political in-fighting was again
on the rise.
In 1968, the Armed Forces, led by
General Juan Velasco Alvarado, staged a coup against president Fernando
Belaunde. The new regime undertook radical reforms aimed at fostering
development, but failed to gain widespread support. In 1975, General Francisco
Morales Bermúdez forcefully replaced Velasco, paralyzed reforms, and oversaw
the reestablishment of democracy. During the 1980s, Peru faced
a considerable external debt, ever-growing inflation, a surge in drug
trafficking, and massive political violence. Under the presidency of Alberto
Fujimori (1990–2000), the country started to recover; however, accusations of
authoritarianism, corruption, and human rights violations forced his
resignation after the controversial 2000 elections. Since the end of the
Fujimori regime, Peru has
tried to fight corruption while sustaining economic growth.
Inca Empire (1438–1532)
The Incas built the largest
empire and dynasty of pre-Columbian America.[6] The Tahuantinsuyo—which is
derived from Quechua for "The Four United Regions"—reached its
greatest extension at the beginning of the 16th century. It dominated a territory
that included (from north to south): Ecuador ,
part of Colombia , the
northern half of Chile ,
and the north-west part of Argentina ;
and from east to west, from Bolivia to
the Amazonian forests and Peru .
The empire originated from a
tribe based in Cuzco ,
which became the capital. Pachacuti was the first ruler to considerably expand
the boundaries of the Cuzco state.
His offspring later ruled an empire by both violent and peaceful conquest.
In Cuzco , the royal city was created to resemble
a Cougar; the head, the main royal structure, formed what is now known as
Sacsayhuaman. The Empire's administrative, political, and military center was
located in Cuzco .
The empire was divided into four quarters: Chinchasuyo, Antisuyo, Contisuyo,
and Collasuyo.
The official language is Quechua
- imposed on the citizens. It was the language of a neighbouring tribe of the
original tribe of the empire. Conquered populations—tribes, kingdoms, states,
and cities—were allowed to practice their own religions and lifestyles, but had
to recognize Inca cultural practices as superior to their own. Inti, the sun
god, was to be worshipped as one of the most important gods of the empire. His
representation on earth was the Inca ("Emperor").
The Tahuantinsuyo was organized
in dominions with a stratified society, in which the ruler was the Inca. It was
also supported by an economy based on the collective property of the land. In
fact, the Inca Empire was conceived like an ambitious and audacious civilizing
project, based on a mythical thought, in which the harmony of the relationships
between the human being, nature, and gods was truly essential.
Many interesting customs were
observed, for example the extravagant feast of Inti Raymi which gave thanks to
the God Sun, and the young women who were the Virgins of the Sun, sacrificial
virgins devoted to the Inti. The empire, being quite large, also had an
impressive transportation system of roads to all points of the empire called
the Inca Trail, and chasquis, message carriers who relayed information from
anywhere in the empire to Cuzco.
View of Machu
Picchu
Machu Picchu (Quechua: Old Peak;
sometimes called the "Lost City of the Incas") is a well-preserved
pre-Columbian Inca ruin located on a high mountain ridge above the Urubamba
Valley, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cuzco. Elevation measurements vary
depending on whether the data refers to the ruin or the extremity of the
mountain; Machu Picchu tourist
information reports the elevation as 2,350 m (7,711 ft). Forgotten for
centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to
international attention by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham III, who
rediscovered it in 1911 and wrote a best-selling work about it. Peru is
pursuing legal efforts to retrieve thousands of artifacts that Bingham removed
from the site.
Although Machu Picchu is by far the most well-known internationally, Peru boasts
many other sites where the modern visitor can see extensive and well-preserved
ruins, remnants of the Inca-period and even older constructions. Much of the
Inca architecture and stonework found at these sites continues to confound archaeologists.
For example, at Sacsayhuaman, in Cuzco ,
the zig-zag-shaped walls are composed of massive boulders fitted very precisely
to one another's irregular, angular shapes. No mortar holds them together, but
nonetheless they have remained absolutely solid through the centuries,
surviving earthquakes that flattened many of Cuzco 's colonial constructions. Damage to the
walls visible today was mainly inflicted during battles between the Spanish and
the Inca, as well as later, in the colonial era. As Cuzco grew, Sacsayhuaman's walls were
partially dismantled, the site becoming a convenient source of construction
materials for the city's newer inhabitants. It is still not known how these
stones were shaped and smoothed, lifted on top of one another (they really are
very massive), or fitted together by the Incas; we also do not know how they
transported the stones to the site in the first place. The stone used is not
native to the area and most likely came from mountains many kilometers away.
Travel and Tourism in Peru –
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People…visit trip advisor for your hotel bookings. Till then
happy reading!!!!
Source: wikipedia.and travel stories.
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