Chile
Background:
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while the indigenous Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia [...]

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, “Old Peak”, is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the vicalamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu [...]

One of the most popular archeological sites of the world, and therefore, the most visited attraction in Peru. The Citadel of Machu Picchu (in Quechua [an Andean language] = Old Mountain) is known throughout the world for its amazing ruins and its unusual location on a high mountain overlooking the mighty currents of the Urubamba [...]

Machu Picchu was constructed around 1462, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned less than 100 years later. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area, and there is no record of the Spanish having known of the remote [...]

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