NIE ACTIVITY
GEOGRAPHY Connections
This yearlong series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. For more information about NIE visit www.courantnie.com or call 241-3144.
Cuzco, Peru
DID YOU KNOW?
Claudia Viacava Lynch,
Roger Sherman School
•Cuzco was originally meant to be built in the shape
of a puma, whose body would have been composed
of the city’s most important temples, building and
palaces. City View
Cuzco is a city and region
which sits high at an
outstanding elevation of
11,150 feet above sea level
in south-central Peru. Cuzco
was once the flourishing
capital of the Inca Empire and
was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage site in 1983.
Home to the magnificent
lost city of Machu Picchu
(one of the Seven Wonders
of the World), Cuzco is a
major tourist destination with
nearly 2 million visitors a year.
Despite its increase in tourism
and revenue, most of the
Cuzco population continues
to live a simple lifestyle,
which does not consist of
sacrificing the earth for wealth
and prosperity. Natives and
visitors alike consider it the
most impressive and beautiful
of all Peruvian cities for its incredible mixture
of colonial and ancient Incan architecture and
its rich and complex history. Not only is it one
of the archaeological capitals of the Americas,
but it is also one of the oldest continuously
inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere.
With its immense representation of Indigenous
Quechua culture in the Andes, Cuzco was
declared one of the world’s cultural heritages.
By merely taking a walk around its cobbled
streets, visitors are immersed within its
Spanish colonial buildings erected directly
atop Incan walls and Quechua speaking
descendants of the Incas still wearing their
traditional costumes.
•A common greeting used in the Cuzco was “Ama Sua, Ama Quella, Ama Lulla” which meant
“Don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t be lazy”. This was also
the cornerstone of the Inca law.
•The city of Cuzco is often spelled with an “s” as in
Cusco or Kosko. MAP IT!
Cuzco standing at an outstanding elevation of 11,150 makes it a region of high altitude. Regions of high altitude are referred to as regions on the Earth’s surface that are high
above mean sea level that begin at 8,000 feet above sea level and are known for their low
atmospheric pressure. Using a map of the world, locate the following cities or
regions that are also distinguished by their high altitude:
TAKE 5
Location: Cuzco is located at approximately 13.5
degrees south latitude and 71.9 degrees west
longitude in the Southeastern part of Peru, 724
miles from Lima, in the Urubamba Valley of the
Andes Mountain range.
Place: Gateway to the famed Inca Trail and ruins
of Machu Picchu, Cuzco is a magical place, where
many tourists and natives go to re-visit the glory of
the Inca Empire. To visit Cusco is to witness the rise,
splendor and fall of a once majestic Inca capital.
Human/Environmental Interactions:
Infrastructure is of significant concern in Cuzco, as
tourism increases and more infrastructure projects
like hotels, restrooms and railways are being built.
Movement: Buses, trains, trams, taxis and cars
are among the primary means of transportation.
However, because most hotels and attractions are
based in the city center, walking is the best mode
of transportation.
Region: From the hills just north of the city, Cusco
can be seen sprawling across the Huatanay River
valley. Its current population is between 350,000
and 400,000.
Wenquan, China,
El Aguilar, Argentina
Colquechaca, Bolivia
Ukdungle, India
Parinacota, Chile
Laya, Bhutan
Dolpa, Nepal
Baltistan, Pakistan
La Rinconada, Peru
LaPaz, Bolivia
Bogata, Columbia
Which high altitude region would you visit and why?
Identify at least 3 cities or regions that are above 15,000 ft in altitude.
Identify the city or region with the highest altitude in the world. What is its altitude?
Community Connections
The region of Cuzco, Peru is known for its incredible biodiversity. A biodiversity hotspot is particularly known for a high
species diversity, which includes over 50,000 plant species, 400 species of butterflies, and 1,700 different bird species.
A biodiversity hotspot is also under threat from humans. Do some research. Find two or more U.S. states that have high
species diversity. In what regions of the U.S. are these states located?
As a class, make a list of reasons why a biodiversity hotspot may be threatened by humans? Discuss some ideas that
might help it from being threatened by humans.
Curricular Connections
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened
and why, based on specific information in the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
•CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions.
NEXT PAGE - Dec 26 2013
Resources:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/locations/cusco_peru_navel_of_the_world.shtml
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/273
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cusco
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/147674/Cuzco