Peru

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Remember the selfish ruler, Kuzco, who was turned into a llama in the movie, The Emperor’s New Groove? His character is based on an ancient Incan ruler and the kingdom that he rules is based on the ancient Incan city of Cusco in Peru.

The Incan people built an elaborate civilization in Peru that was mostly wiped out when the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century. You can still visit the ruins of this civilization at Machu Picchu and other sites. The Koricancha, or Sun Temple, still stands, although the sheets of gold that covered it are gone. The city of Cusco is still thriving.

The country of Peru sits in South America between the Pacific Ocean and Columbia, Brazil and Bolivia. Peru is a beautiful country – with rainforests, mountains and dry coastal plains. The rainforests are home to animal species found nowhere on Earth and there are Indian tribes living in the rainforest that have probably never seen other people. Snakes, reptiles, huge cats and colorful birds live in the rainforests. Fish, penguins and other birds live in and near the ocean. Llamas and alpacas live in the mountains. The puya Raimondi plant grows for 100 years before blooming. That’s a long time to wait for a flower!

Peru is one of the richest sources of silver, copper and lead in the world, but many people are very poor. People live in tiny houses without electricity or running water. They may not have enough food to eat and they work very hard.