Peru

I have a backbone made of snowy mountains that touch the clouds. My feet are always being splashed by the cool, blue ocean. I wear a big, green cloak made of a rainforest, where colorful birds sing and monkeys swing from tree to tree. I hold so many secrets. Some are giant pictures of animals drawn right into the sandy ground, so big you can only see them from way up high. Other secrets are lost cities made of stone, hiding among the misty peaks. I am a land full of adventure and wonder. I am Peru.

Long, long ago, some of my very first children lived here. The Caral-Supe people were amazing builders. They made tall pyramids that reached for the sun, long before anyone else in this part of the world. After them came the clever Nazca people. They used the ground like a giant drawing board and created huge pictures of spiders, hummingbirds, and monkeys that can still be seen today. But my most famous children were the Inca. They were master builders who created a huge kingdom in my mountains. They built long roads that snaked up and down the steep slopes, connecting everyone. Their capital city, Cusco, was filled with sunshine and gold. Their greatest treasure was a secret city called Machu Picchu, built so high up it felt like a castle in the sky. They cut giant stones so perfectly that they fit together like puzzle pieces, without any glue to hold them.

One day, big ships with tall white sails crossed the wide ocean and arrived at my shore. People from a faraway land called Spain came to explore. On July 26th, 1533, their leader walked into the great Inca city of Cusco. They brought a new language, new songs, and new ways of doing things. At first, it was a little confusing for my people. But over time, the old Inca ways and the new Spanish ways started to dance together. It was like mixing bright red paint and bright yellow paint to make a beautiful new color, orange. My music, my art, and my stories became a wonderful mix of both worlds, and that is what makes me so special today.

Today, I am a land of happy music, colorful festivals, and yummy food. Have you ever eaten a potato. That was my gift to you. I have thousands of different kinds of potatoes, in all sorts of shapes and colors. I also gave the world a tiny, super-strong grain called quinoa. I love it when visitors come to see my tall mountains, my green rainforests, and my old stone cities. My stories are waiting for you in every corner, whispered by the wind and carved into ancient stones. Maybe one day, you will come and discover my treasures too.