Peru
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8correct to beat the crowd
Discover how much you really know about Peru with our comprehensive free 49-question trivia quiz with answers. From the ancient wonders of Machu Picchu to the vibrant culture of Lima, test your knowledge on Peruvian history, geography, food, and famous landmarks. Whether you're planning a trip or simply curious about this South American gem, this quiz will challenge and entertain you!
30 of 49 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Which ancient civilization in Peru is considered the earliest known complex society in the Americas?
Caral-Supe
The Caral-Supe civilization, flourishing along Peru's coast north of Lima between about 3000 and 1800 BCE, is recognized as the earliest known complex society in the Americas.
Q 02Which lake in Peru's southern highlands is often called the world's highest navigable lake?
Titicaca
Lake Titicaca sits at 3,812 metres above sea level and is the largest lake in South America by volume, reaching a depth of about 280 metres.
Q 03The Amazon proper begins where the Marañón meets which other Peruvian river?
Ucayali
The Ucayali, itself formed by the Tambo and Urubamba, joins the Marañón near Nauta in Loreto; from that confluence the river carries the name Amazon.
Q 04Which Inca emperor was captured by the Spanish at Cajamarca in 1532?
Atahualpa
Atahualpa, the last sovereign Inca ruler, was seized by the Spanish at Cajamarca in November 1532; he filled a room with gold and silver as ransom and was executed in 1533.
Q 05Which Indigenous language, once the Inca Empire's tongue, is co-official in Peru?
Quechua
Quechua, the Inca Empire's administrative language, is the mother tongue of roughly one in seven Peruvians, concentrated in the Andean highlands, and is official where it predominates.
Q 06Which Peruvian dish is raw fish marinated in lime juice and spiced with aji peppers?
Ceviche
Ceviche is a quintessential Peruvian dish, revered for its refreshing blend of fresh raw fish or seafood cured in citrus juices.
Q 07What is the capital and largest city of Peru?
Lima
Lima was founded by the Spanish in 1535 as La Ciudad de los Reyes, the City of Kings; its metropolitan area holds roughly a third of Peru's population.
Q 08Which Peruvian writer won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature?
Mario Vargas Llosa
Mario Vargas Llosa, born in Arequipa in 1936, won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature for novels such as The Time of the Hero and Conversation in the Cathedral.
Q 09Which bird, one of the largest flying birds on Earth, is a national symbol of Peru?
Andean Condor
The Andean condor, with a wingspan up to about 3.3 metres, ranks among the largest flying birds by combined weight and wingspan, soars on thermals, and can live past 60 years.
Q 10Peru is considered the origin of which tuber, with over 3,000 varieties grown in the country?
Potato
Peru is the birthplace of the potato, and its highlands are home to an astonishing genetic diversity, boasting over 3,000 native varieties of this staple crop.
Q 11Which Inca citadel high in the Andes is often called the 'Lost City of the Incas'?
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a magnificent 15th-century Inca citadel nestled high in the Andes Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Q 12Peru shares its western border with which ocean?
Pacific Ocean
Peru is located on the western coast of South America and is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Q 13Which American historian brought Machu Picchu to international attention in 1911?
Hiram Bingham
Bingham was actually hunting for Vilcabamba, the last Inca capital; a local farmer's son led him up to the ruins.
Q 21Which pre-Inca kingdom built Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the Americas?
Chimor
Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimor kingdom, also called the Chimú, and the largest city of pre-Columbian South America; it fell to the Incas around 1470.
Q 22Which cold ocean flow running up Peru's coast helps give the country its unusual range of climates?
Humboldt
The Humboldt Current keeps the coast a desert while feeding one of the richest fisheries on Earth.
Q 23What is the highest mountain peak in Peru?
Huascarán
Mount Huascarán, standing at 6,768 meters (22,205 feet) above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca, is the highest peak in Peru.
Q 14Which conquistador founded the city of Lima in 1535 as the seat of Spanish rule?
Francisco Pizarro
Pizarro was assassinated in his Lima palace in 1541 by followers of his rival Diego de Almagro.
Q 15What is the name for the Peruvian-Chinese fusion cuisine, which is very popular in Lima?
Chifa
Chifa is Peru's Chinese-Peruvian cooking, created by Cantonese immigrants who began arriving in 1849 as contract labourers; arroz chaufa, its fried rice, is a national staple.
Q 16Which wild camelid, prized for the world's finest wool, is Peru's national animal?
Vicuña
Under the Inca only royalty could wear vicuña cloth; the animal appears on Peru's coat of arms.
Q 17What is the official currency of Peru?
Sol
It replaced the inti in 1991 as the 'nuevo sol'; one new sol was worth a billion of the old soles abandoned in 1985.
Q 18How many times did Peru's men win the Copa América in the 20th century?
Two
La Blanquirroja won the Copa América two times in the 20th century: in 1939 as host in Lima, and in 1975 under a home-and-away format.
Q 19Peru is traditionally divided into three regions: the costa, the sierra, and which third region?
Selva
The selva, or jungle, is the wide flat expanse of Amazon rainforest that covers most of eastern Peru.
Q 20In Peru, the traditional dish cuy is made from which animal?
Guinea pig
Cuy is guinea pig, domesticated in the Andes thousands of years ago and usually served roasted or fried whole; Cusco cathedral's Last Supper painting even shows one on the table.
Q 24Which Peruvian city is nicknamed the 'White City' for its buildings of pale volcanic sillar stone?
Arequipa
Arequipa is famously known as the 'White City' because many of its colonial-era buildings are constructed from sillar, a white volcanic stone.
Q 25Which Inca festival of the sun, banned in 1572, was revived at Sacsayhuamán in 1944?
Inti Raymi
Inti Raymi honours the sun god Inti at the June solstice; the Spanish banned it in 1572, and a 1944 revival turned it into a re-enactment held each 24 June at Sacsayhuamán.
Q 26Which Andean grain, domesticated around Lake Titicaca, is often marketed as a 'superfood'?
Quinoa
Quinoa, a pseudocereal domesticated in the Andes around Lake Titicaca thousands of years ago, contains all nine essential amino acids, which earned its 'superfood' label; Peru and Bolivia have long grown most of the world's crop.
Q 27Which canyon near Arequipa, about 3,270 m deep, is Peru's best-known condor-watching site?
Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon, about 3,270 metres deep, is roughly twice the depth of the Grand Canyon; at its Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint condors ride the morning thermals.
Q 28The Uros people build their floating islands on Lake Titicaca from what plant?
Totora reed
The Uros build and constantly re-layer their islands from totora reed, which rots from below; about 120 islands float near Puno, and the reed is also eaten and made into boats.
Q 29In which year did Peru formally declare its independence from Spain?
1821
Peru formally proclaimed its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821, although full independence was achieved after the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824.
Q 30What is the world's largest rodent, found in the rivers and marshes of Peru's Amazon lowlands?
Capybara
Capybaras live in every South American country except Chile and can weigh over 60 kg.