Pre-Colonial Era
Before the first Spanish arrival in 1531, an advanced Inca civilization flourished, leaving behind an ancient city filled with elaborate temples, palaces, and road networks. Their territory stretched from northern Ecuador to central Chile. Peru's most famous of these sites is the Machu Picchu, which has a long, winding stone staircase that leads to the entrance to this ancient lost city. Caral, in the Supe Valley, is just one of the many cities left behind by the mysterious Incas. The oldest city in the Americas, Caral was settled around 2600 BC and is older than the pyramids in Egypt.

Colonial Times
Only two years after the first arrival of the Spaniards, the gold-hungry Francisco Pizarro captured Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. In 1535, Pizarro founded the capital city of Lima and by 1542 had gained control over most of the Peruvian territory. Gold and silver poured out of Peru during this era and it quickly became the foundation of Spanish wealth and power in South America.

Gaining Independence
Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar were powerful figures in Peru's independence movement during the 19th century. Independence was first proclaimed on July 28, 1821. Independence did not come without a fight, however. A struggle that lasted four years was finally ended when forces led by General Antonio Jose de Sucre defeated the Spanish at Ayacucho in 1824. More unsuccessful attempts were made by Spain to regain the colony, and finally in 1879 the crown recognized Peru's independence.

The Battle for Territory
After gaining independence Peru was engaged in a number of border disputes. The most serious of these was the War of the Pacific, which was a four-year battle with Peru and Bolivia against Chile. Chile came out victorious and Peru was forced to give up the province of Tarapaca. Later on in 1941, Peru and Ecuador clashed over a border dispute at the Rio Protocol. The disagreement reached a peak when an armed conflict erupted in 1981. Finally a peace accord was signed in 1998 to end the dispute and the Peru-Ecuador border was officially demarcated.

Peru Today
Today, Peru is experiencing strong economic growth and a stable government led by Alejandro Todelo, Peru's first indigenous President. Because of its unique abundance of ancient Incan ruins and beautiful, diverse scenery, tourism is always on the rise and has become one of Peru's biggest sources of revenue.

PlacesOnLine: Peru

Peru History

    Francisco Pizarro