Ch 8 Cultura

Exuador, Perú, y Bolivia

Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia are located in the heart of the Andes and were part of the ancient Inca Empire called Tawantinsuyu. With an area of 3,000 miles north to south, the area is characterized by spectacular snow capped peaks, breathtaking volcanoes and the huge lake Titicaca. The Inca emperors ruled for nearly 400 years. Under his rule lacked anyone food or clothing and after conquering other tribes, the Incas conquered incorporated leaders in his government. The last Inca emperor Atahualpa was and was captured in 1532 by Francisco Pizarro when the Spanish conquered the region. During this period the Peruvian city of Lima became the most important colonial center of South America. The Incas perfected the potato cultivation and care of livestock of the Andes, as llamas and alpacas. Many Indians still wear traditional Andean clothes: blankets, ponchos and hats made from alpaca wool. After Spanish, Quechua is the most spoken language among the Indians of the Andes. These words come from Quechua: condor, puma and potatoes. Although it is a minority language, Quechua is an official language of Ecuador .

Peru

Peru is the third largest country in South America. The arid Pacific coast ( where are Lima and main port, Callao ) is the most dynamic region of the country, but the Andean area, very high mountains, dominates the geography. The indigenous influence is very strong in Peru. Pictured Cuzco Street shows the fusion of indigenous and Spanish cultures. The Incas built the stone wall and the Spanish built the top of the building. The official languages of Peru is Spanish and a large number of indigenous languages, among which are the Quechua and Aymara. Near Cuzco , Peru, over 8,000 feet high, the Incas built Machu Picchu. This city reflects the high level of technology of the Inca Empire. The Spaniards did not know of the existence of Machu Picchu, and after the conquest, the site was lost for centuries. Its ruins were rediscovered in 1911 by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Mario Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian writer famous. It was part of the Latin American literary boom and reached fame in the 1960s with novels such as The Time of the Hero (1963) and The Green House (1965). Throughout his career he has received numerous awards , including the Rómulo Gallegos (1967 ) Cervantes Prize Award (1994 ) and the Nobel Prize for Literature (2010). Among his works should be noted Pantoja and the Special Services ( 1973 ), Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (1977 ) , Death in the Andes (1993) and The Feast of the Goat (2000 ) . In 1990, Vargas Llosa was presented to the Presidency of Peru, but lost to Alberto Fujimori.En 1999, on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, an Inca cemetery with an area of approximately 20 acres was discovered. This area is known for Puruchuco - Huaquerones . So far more than 2,200 mummies wrapped in cloth bundles have been exhumed of this archaeological site. These packages can weigh to 500 pounds and containing bodies and artifacts that the deceased used during his lifetime. On the border between Bolivia and Peru, about 12,500 feet high, is Lake Titicaca, which is the second largest in South America (larger than 3,000 square miles) and the world's highest navigable lake.

Ecuador

The equator passing through northern Quito gave the country its name. Ecuador is a small country, but of great geographical contrasts. In her warm and dry coast there are excellent beaches. In the eastern region is the Amazon region, where the climate is hot and humid and there is a great variety of flora and fauna. The Andean region, with impressive volcanoes, has a cold and dry climate. Quito, capital of Ecuador, is an old area of great beauty with many examples of colonial art and architecture. August 10, 1809 the first cry for independence in Latin America took place in Quito. In 1822 , Ecuador became independent from Spain and joined the Gran Colombia. In 1830 he became an independent republic. In 2000, Ecuador adopted the U.S. dollar as currency nacional. Las Galapagos Islands, where Darwin developed many of his theories are true ecological treasure. These islands, whose official name is " Archipelago de Colon ", are about 600 miles off the Ecuadorian coast. They coexist species of reptiles, birds and unique plants in the world. The tortoises Galapagos can live without eating one year weigh 500 pounds and live up to 100 years.

Bolivia

The name of this country pays tribute to Simon Bolivar, the hero of the Spanish American wars of independence. Bolivia was part of Peru during most of the colonial era. The silver mines of Potosi were the main attraction for the Spaniards in colonial times and Potosi became the most populous city in the Americas. Bolivia became independent in 1825. Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. La Paz, the administrative capital, is the seat of government. With almost 13,000 feet, is famous for being one of the highest cities in the world. In fact, because of the height and the limited amount of oxygen, in La Paz it is very hard to light and maintain a fire. So there are very few fires.

La Ropa

The traditional clothing of Spain and Latin America is very diverse. In cities only traditional clothing is worn in the days of national holiday. In the parades civic, children, youth and adults dress up in traditional clothing from different regions of their country and traditional dance music. The national dance companies also wear traditional clothing. Thanks to flamenco costumes typical of southern Spain are known worldwide. However, the indigenous people of the rural areas of many countries, such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico, using typical everyday clothing. In Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula women wear a huipil, a dress (or blouse) of Mayan origin with embroidery of colorful flowers. For the type of design huipil dresses women in the region are living apart. The skirts are Panamanian treasures: these garments are decorated with fine lace embroidered with threads of gold. In coastal regions, especially in the Caribbean, it is common to see men in guayabera: shirts lightweight fabrics, embroidered in bright colors, which are perfect for the hot weather in the area. In the town of Otavalo, in the Andean region of Ecuador, women wear a black skirt with colorful embroidery, an embroidered white lace blouse, many necklaces and bracelets of beads, red and golden and a turban head. Usually, the men in this region carry a wool poncho over a shirt, white pants with white sandals and a black hat.