Why Is Lake Titicaca So Famous?
For the people who lived in the Andean mountain region of South America before Spanish conquerors arrived, Lake Titicaca was the birthplace of civilization. The early Aymara, Tiwanaku, and Incan people who lived on its shores all considered it to be sacred.
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Significance
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In Incan mythology, Lake Titicaca is the place where the world was created. Based on their legends, the god Viracocha rose from the waters of the lake to create the sun, the stars, and people.
Location and size
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Lake Titicaca is located at an altitude of 12,506 feet, making it the world's highest navigable lake. Covering an area of 3,474 square miles, it is also one of the world's largest lakes.
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Geography
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Lake Titicaca's waters touch shores in two countries, Peru and Bolivia.
Features
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Lake Titicaca is not one, but actually two bodies of water joined by the Strait of Tiquina. There are also islands in the lake.
Fun Fact
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The Spanish conquerors who arrived in the mid-sixteenth century believed that the Incas had thrown their gold into Lake Titicaca to keep the Spanish from taking it.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo credit: Carmem L. Vilanova, http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/225756
