Peru trivia: 48 questions and answers

Argentina. Argentina does not border Peru. Peru's neighbours are Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.

True. True. The 1993 constitution makes Spanish official, and also Quechua, Aymara and other Indigenous languages in the areas where they predominate.

The Supe Valley. Caral lies in the Supe Valley, about 180 km north of Lima. The Sacred Valley is near Cusco, the Colca Valley near Arequipa and the Mantaro Valley in the central Andes.

Cajamarca. Pizarro ambushed Atahualpa in the town square of Cajamarca on 16 November 1532. Lima did not exist yet: Pizarro founded it in 1535.

Antonio José de Sucre. Antonio José de Sucre, a general of Simón Bolívar, led the independence forces at Ayacucho. San Martín had declared independence in 1821 and had already left Peru, and Túpac Amaru II died in 1781.

True. True. It remembers 28 July 1821, when José de San Martín declared Peru's independence in Lima.

True. True. Chile fought an alliance of Peru and Bolivia. Peru lost the province of Tarapacá, and Bolivia lost its coast.

False. False. He was born in Chicago. He spent many years in Peru as a missionary, was Bishop of Chiclayo and became a Peruvian citizen, so he is the first pope who is a citizen of Peru.

Lime. Ceviche is marinated in fresh lime juice. The acid turns the fish white and firm, but it does not kill germs the way cooking does.

Leche de tigre. It is called leche de tigre, tiger's milk. Chicha morada is a purple corn drink, mazamorra a pudding and Inca Kola a soft drink.

Chinese-Peruvian (chifa). Lomo saltado comes from Chinese-Peruvian (chifa) cooking: it is stir-fried in a wok with soy sauce and served with rice.

Huancayo. Huancaína means 'from Huancayo', a city in the central Andes. The best-known story links the dish to the railway between Lima and Huancayo.

Purple corn. Chicha morada is made by boiling purple corn with pineapple peel, quince, cinnamon and cloves.

Egg white. A Peruvian pisco sour is shaken with lime juice, sugar syrup, ice and egg white, and topped with bitters. The egg is raw, so pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weak immune system should ask for it without egg or with pasteurised egg white.

True. True. Guinea pigs were first raised for food in the Andes thousands of years ago, and cuy is still a dish for festivals and family celebrations.

False. False. Lunch, el almuerzo, is the main meal. Many small restaurants serve a cheap set lunch called the menú, and supper is lighter.

By plane or boat. Only by plane or boat. Iquitos is the largest city in the world that is not on an island and cannot be reached by road.

True. True. Lima is the capital, but the 1993 constitution calls Cusco, the old Inca capital, the historical capital of Peru.

The Incas. Machu Picchu was built by the Incas around 1450, probably as a royal estate for Pachacuti. The Moche, Nazca and Chimú lived on the coast, much earlier or far away.

Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes, officially Machupicchu Pueblo, is about 6 km from the ruins. Ollantaytambo is where many trains start, Puno is on Lake Titicaca and Chivay is in the Colca Canyon.

False. False. Local farmers knew the site and led Bingham there, and a Peruvian explorer, Agustín Lizárraga, had written his name on a wall in 1902. Bingham made it famous around the world.

By removing the dark stones on the desert surface. They were made by removing the dark stones on the desert surface, which uncovered the lighter ground beneath. The very dry desert climate has kept them for up to 2,500 years.

Totora reeds. The islands are built from bundles of totora reeds laid over floating blocks of reed roots. The Uros make their boats from the same reeds.

The Chimú. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimú kingdom, built from around AD 850. The Incas conquered the Chimú around 1470.

The Convent of Santo Domingo. The Church and the Convent of Santo Domingo stand on Qorikancha's Inca walls. The Santa Catalina Monastery is in Arequipa, the Government Palace in Lima and the Sipán museum near Chiclayo.

True. True. For almost four centuries the nuns lived hidden from the city. In 1970 a large part of the monastery opened to visitors.

Peru. Paddington comes from 'darkest Peru', home of the real spectacled bear.

Lake Titicaca. Potatoes were first grown around Lake Titicaca, in today's southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia, about 7,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Jerky. Jerky comes from the Quechua ch'arki, dried salted meat. Barbecue comes from the Caribbean, and tomato and chocolate from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.

The Earth's tropics. At 6,768 m, Huascarán is the highest point in the Earth's tropics. The highest mountain in South America, the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere is Aconcagua in Argentina.

Knotted cords for keeping records. Quipus were bundles of coloured, knotted cords for keeping records such as taxes and population counts. The knots stood for numbers in a decimal system.

The vicuña. The vicuña, a wild relative of the llama with very fine wool, is Peru's national animal and stands on its coat of arms.

False. False. Peru shares the lake with Bolivia: the western part is in Peru's Puno region and the eastern part in Bolivia.

True. True. Its main flavouring is lemon verbena. It was created in Peru in 1935 by a British immigrant, Joseph Robinson Lindley.

An avocado. Palta is an avocado. The word comes from Quechua. In Mexico and Spain it is called aguacate.

Toasted corn kernels. Cancha is toasted corn kernels, a crunchy snack served with ceviche, sweet potato and corn on the cob.

Sun. Sol means sun, a link to Inti, the sun god of the Incas, who gave his name to Peru's previous currency, the inti.

True. True. In Peru and the rest of Latin America a potato is a papa. In most of Spain it is called a patata.

¡Buen provecho!. ¡Buen provecho! means 'enjoy your meal'. ¡Salud! is 'cheers', mucho gusto is 'nice to meet you' and con permiso is 'excuse me, may I pass?'.

Is it spicy?. ¿Pica? means 'Is it spicy?'. A useful question in Peru, where rocoto sauce can be very hot.

Sin ají, por favor. Sin ají, por favor means 'without chilli, please'. La cuenta, por favor asks for the bill.

False. False. In the morning you say 'Buenos días'. 'Buenas noches' is for after dark or for saying goodnight.

About 3,400 m. Cusco is about 3,400 m above sea level, so altitude sickness is a real risk. Rest on your first day and walk slowly.

The passport you used to buy the ticket. Bring the passport you used to buy the ticket: Machu Picchu tickets are linked to it and checked at the gate.

About 10 percent. About 10 percent is welcome for good service. Check the bill first, because some upscale restaurants already add a service charge.

True. True. It closes in February for cleaning. The rest of the year, permits are limited and often sell out months ahead.

False. False. UK travel advice says not to hail taxis in the street. Use the official desks at the airport, a licensed taxi company by phone or app, or ask your hotel to call one.

True. True. Coca tea is legal in Peru and is often offered against altitude sickness, but it is illegal in the United States unless the cocaine has been removed.