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Lake Titicaca

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   Lake Titicaca
   Lake Titicaca - Lake Titicaca from space, May 1985.

                     Lake Titicaca from space, May 1985.

   Coordinates 16°0′S 69°0′W
   Lake type Mountain Lake
   Primary sources 25 rivers
   Primary outflows Desaguadero River
   Evaporation
   Catchment area 58,000 km²
   Basin countries Peru
   Bolivia
   Max-length 190 km
   Max-width 80 km
   Surface area 8,372 km²
   Average depth 107m
   Max-depth 281m
   Water volume 893 km³
   Shore length^1 1,125 km
   Surface elevation 3,812 m
   Islands 42+ islands
   See Article
   Settlements Puno, Peru
   Copacabana, Bolivia
   ^1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized
   for this article.

   Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world ,
   at 3,812 m (12,507 feet) above sea level. Located in the Altiplano high
   in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia, at 16°S 69°W, Titicaca
   has an average depth of 107 m , and a maximum depth of 281 m. The
   western part of the lake belongs to the Puno Region of Peru, and the
   eastern side is located in the Bolivian La Paz Department.

   More than 25 rivers empty into Titicaca, and the lake has 41 islands,
   some of which are densely populated.

   Titicaca is fed by rainfall and meltwater from glaciers on the sierras
   that abut the Altiplano. It is drained by the Desaguadero River, which
   flows south through Bolivia to Lake Poopó. This accounts for less than
   five per cent of the lake's water loss, however, the rest is caused by
   evaporation as a result of the strong winds and sunlight at this
   altitude.
   Map of Lake Titicaca
   Enlarge
   Map of Lake Titicaca

Islands

   Uros artificial islands, in Peru.
   Enlarge
   Uros artificial islands, in Peru.
   One of the islands from Lake Titicaca: Amantaní in the distance as seen
   from Taquile.
   Enlarge
   One of the islands from Lake Titicaca: Amantaní in the distance as seen
   from Taquile.

Uros

   Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a
   group of about 43 artificial islands made of floating reeds. These
   islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing
   excursions from the lakeside city of Puno.

Taquile

   The people of Taquile, off the coast from Puno, are known for their
   fine handwoven textile products, among the highest quality in Peru. The
   island attracts many tourists each year.

Amantaní

   Amantaní is another small island in Lake Titicaca populated by Quechua
   speakers. About 800 families live in six villages on the basically
   circular 15-square kilometer island. There are two mountain peaks,
   called Pachatata (Father Earth) and Pachamama (Mother Earth), and
   ancient ruins on the top of both peaks. The hillsides that rise up from
   the lake are terraced and planted with wheat, potatoes, and vegetables.
   Most of the small fields are worked by hand. Long stone fences divide
   the fields, and cattle, sheep, and alpacas graze on the hillsides.

   There are no cars on the island, and no hotels. A few small stores sell
   basic goods, and there is a health clinic and school. Electricity is
   produced by a generator and limited to a couple of hours each day.

   Some of the families on Amantaní offer a meal or overnight stay to
   tourists, arranged through tour guides. Guests typically take food
   staples (cooking oil, rice, sugar) as a gift.

Isla Del Sol

   Situated on the Bolivian side of the lake with regular boat links to
   the Bolivian town of Copacabana, Isla del Sol ("Island of the Sun") is
   one of the lake's largest islands. It is the site of several important
   Inca ruins and its economy is mainly driven by tourism revenues.
   Subsistence agriculture and fishing are widely practised.

Name

   Copacabana, Bolivia
   Enlarge
   Copacabana, Bolivia

   The origin of the name Titicaca is unknown. It has been translated as
   "Rock Puma", allegedly because of its resemblance to the shape of a
   puma hunting a rabbit, combining words from the local languages Quechua
   and Aymara, and as "Crag of Lead". Locally, the lake goes by several
   names. It is widely made fun of and giggled about for the reason that
   it says, if interpreted that way, "naughty" words.

   Because the southeast quarter of the lake is separate from the main
   body (connected only by the Strait of Tiquina), the Bolivians call it
   Lago Huiñaymarca and the larger part Lago Chucuito. In Peru, these
   smaller and larger parts are referred to as Lago Pequeño and Lago
   Grande, respectively.

Trivia

   The Bolivian Naval Force uses the lake to carry out naval exercises,
   maintaining an active navy despite being landlocked.

   The partly-salt Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is bigger than Titicaca, at
   about 13,000 square kilometres, but some say it should be classified as
   a sea because it is connected to the ocean.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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