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Peru
Home of Norte Chico, Chavín, Moche, Wari and the Inca Empire — the largest in pre-Columbian America.
Overview
The Andes were a cradle of civilization: Caral (c. 3000 BCE) is contemporary with Sumer. The Inca Empire, at its 1500 peak, extended over 4,000 km along the Pacific coast.
Basic Information
CapitalLima
Population34 million
Area1,285,216 km²
CurrencySol (PEN)
LanguagesSpanish, Quechua, Aymara
RegionSouth America
History Timeline
- c. 3000 – 1800 BCECaral / Norte Chico
- c. 900 – 200 BCEChavín culture
- c. 100 – 700 CEMoche civilization
- 1438 – 1533Inca Empire
- 1533Pizarro captures Cuzco
- 1821Independence from Spain
Ancient Peoples
- Caral-Supe
- Chavín
- Moche
- Nazca
- Wari
- Inca
Ancient Kingdoms
- Kingdom of Cuzco
Empires
- Inca Empire
- Spanish Empire
Religions
- Roman Catholicism
- Andean traditions
Culture
Quipu record-keeping, terraced agriculture, textile arts and Andean music.
Language
Spanish, Quechua and Aymara are all official.
Important Battles
- Battle of Cajamarca1532
Capture of Atahualpa
- Battle of Ayacucho1824
Sealed South American independence
Historical Figures
Pachacuti
1438 – 1471
Ninth Sapa Inca, empire-builder
Atahualpa
1532 – 1533
Last Inca emperor
Archaeological Sites
- Machu Picchu
- Cuzco
- Chan Chan
- Caral
- Nazca Lines
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Machu Picchu
- Cuzco
- Chan Chan
- Nazca Lines
- Chavín
Dynasties
- Inca imperial line
Colonial Period
Viceroyalty of Peru (1542 – 1824) was Spain's richest American colony thanks to Potosí silver.
Modern History
Peru became a republic in 1824; today a member of the Pacific Alliance.