Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world at 3,812 m (12,536 feet) above sea level. It is also South America's largest freshwater lake, with a surface area of approximately 8372 square kilometres[http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/sam/dsam04.html.

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 between 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 being accounted by evaporation as a result of strong winds and sunlight at this altitude.

Islands

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.

Name

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.

Because the southeast quarter of the lake is separated from the main body by the Strait of Tiquina, the Bolivians call this smaller part 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 military 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.

Appearances in popular culture

A segment of the Disney feature Saludos Amigos featured Donald Duck at the lake.
Portions of the name sound like vulgarities in English and Spanish, leading to its use in various jokes. Titicaca is the lake that Cornholio, alter-ego of Beavis of MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-head, claims to come from although he believes the lake is located in Nicaragua.
The cartoon Animaniacs featured the lake in a short song.
Simpsons character Superintendent Chalmers goes on vacation to Lake Titicaca in episode AABF16, The Old Man and The "C" Student.
In the motion picture Groundhog Day the lake is one of the lakes Bill Murray correctly answers while watching Jeopardy.

External links

Travel information

References

Lakes of Bolivia | Lakes of Peru | Mountain lakes

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