Facts About Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is one of those inland freshwater bodies that is so famous that many people know the name while having no idea about its actual location. Its size and location has earned the lake many world records, and its islands are home to ruins from several phases of South American history. Some were once even central to the Inca religion. Finally, the area is one of great natural beauty.

Geography

Lake Titicaca is located on the border between Bolivia and Peru, meaning the lake's waters are divided between them. There are several populated islands in the lake. On the Peruvian side are Amantaní and Taquile. The Bolivians own Isla del Sol, Isla del la Luna and Suriqui. A strange pseudo archipelago is Peru's Uros, a collection of 40 or more artificial islands fashioned from bound, floating reeds.

Size

Fed by 27 different rivers, Titicaca is 118 miles long and 50 miles wide at its maximum points, with a surface area of 3,232 square miles. The average lake depth is 351 feet, and at its deepest is 922 feet. It holds more water than any other lake in South America. Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has a larger surface area, but holds less water and is partly salty to boot.

Altitude

After its size, the next most interesting feature of Lake Titicaca is its altitude. It sits at 12,500 feet above sea level, making it the highest navigable lake in the world.

Ruins

Spanish, Inca and pre-Inca ruins dot the islands of Lake Titicaca. The highest points of Amantaní and Taquile are home to pre-Inca ruins. Taquile was also home to a Spanish colonial prison. Isla del Sol and Isla del la Luna are both home to Inca ruins and figure in the Inca religion. Isla del Sol was the birthplace of the sun god, while it was from Isla del la Luna that another god commanded the rising of the moon.

Militarization

Bolivia has been a landlocked country since Bolivia and Peru lost the 1879 to 1881 War of the Pacific. The loss of their coastal territory remains an emotional issue in Bolivia to this day, and as a part of that they have maintained a "brown water" navy. In 2009, the Bolivian Navy had about 5,000 men and roughly 170 patrol boats and transports, many of which operate on Lake Titicaca. Their neighbor Peru maintains no naval presence on the lake at all, making Bolivia the sole source of its militarization.