Bird's eye view of Machu Picchu and flag of Peru

Kelly Cheng Travel Photography/Getty Images (Machu Picchu); Shutterstock.com

What’s Up, World? Peru

Explore the third-largest country in South America. 

Jhony Islas/Peru’s Ministry of Culture - Nasca-Palpa via AP Images

Can you imagine spotting a 120-foot-long cat? Well, you would see one every day if you lived in the dry plains near Nazca, Peru. 

The drawing of a cat was etched into the hard ground there about 2,400 years ago. And the cat is not alone. People living in the area around that time etched hundreds of animals, plants, and other shapes into the ground. 

Over the centuries, the drawings became lost. Many were covered by dirt. Others were so big that they couldn’t be seen from the ground. In the 1920s, the early planes changed that. People started discovering the drawings from the sky.  

Today, scientists use drones to study the drawings, now known as the Nazca Lines. In 2022, they found 168 more drawings. But experts still aren’t sure why they were made. The purpose of the Nazca Lines remains a mystery!

Creature Feature

About 7 out of 10 alpacas in the world live in Peru’s Andes Mountains. The animals are related to camels.

More than 80,000 families in Peru make a living by selling alpaca meat and wool. 

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Look at This

High in the Andes Mountains sits the ancient city of Machu Picchu. It was built about 600 years ago by the Inca. This native group ruled over the largest empire in the world at the time. About a million tourists visit the city’s ruins each year.

Kelly Cheng Travel Photography/Getty Images 

Most people in Peru speak Spanish. You’d greet someone by saying hola (OH-lah). Give it a try!

Weather Watch

Peru has more than 1,500 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The warmest time to visit one of its beaches is during Peru’s summer, which runs from October to March. Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasons there are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere, where the U.S. is located.  

Kelly Cestari/Covered Images/World Surf League via Getty Images

Let's Eat!

Do you like raw fish? If you said yes, you might enjoy ceviche (suh-VEE-chay). It’s a popular dish in Peru. One way it’s made is with raw fish soaked in lime juice and seasoned with chilis. 

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1. According to the article, why did people begin discovering the Nazca Lines in the 1920s?

2. How is the timing of the seasons in Peru different from the timing of the seasons in the U.S.?

3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to Peru?

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