Titicaca is a picturesque lake located at an altitude of more than 3800 meters above sea level. It is located in the Andes, right on the border of two countries - Peru and Bolivia. It is the tallest navigable lake in the world, the second largest in South America and the custodian of the continent's largest supply of fresh water.
Interesting name
Geologists believe that Lake Titicaca was part of the oldest sea 100 million years ago. This is confirmed by the surviving traces of the surf on the mountain slopes and the fossilized fragments of marine animals on the shores of the lake.
The lake owes its name to the Spaniards a little unpleasant for the Russian ear. It consists of the words "titi", which means "puma" and "kaka" - "rock". In translation from the language of the Quechua Indians, the name of the lake means "mountain puma". Meanwhile, the Quechua and Aymara Indians, before the arrival of the Spaniards, called this reservoir "Mamakota". Even earlier, before the appearance of these peoples near the lake, it was called "Lake Pukina", since it was located on the territory of the state of the Pukin Indians, which ceased to exist.
Features of Lake Titicaca
The lake is located on the Altiplano plateau. Titicaca's area is just over 8,500 square kilometers. In South America, only Lake Maracaibo, located in Venezuela, is the leader in this parameter. The dimensions of Titicaca are very impressive: the maximum width is 65 kilometers, and the length is 204 kilometers.
The average depth of the lake fluctuates in the region of 140-180 meters, and the maximum is 304 meters. In the middle of Titicaca, the water temperature is constant all year round and is about 10-12 degrees, but off the coast the lake often freezes at night.
More than three hundred rivers flow into Titicaca, which flow from nearby glaciers, and only one flows out - Desaguadero. It subsequently flows into the closed lake Poopo, which is on the territory of Bolivia. The salinity of Titicaca is about one ppm. This allows the lake to be ranked as a freshwater reservoir. Moreover, it is the largest mountain lake on the planet in terms of fresh water reserves.
Many birds live on Titicaca - ducks, Andean flamingos and geese, sandpipers, and many others. There are many fish in the waters of the lake, including rainbow trout and salmon. You can also see giant frogs here.
The largest city on Titicaca is Puno, which is located on the western shore of the lake, in the Peruvian territory. Native American tribes live along the banks of Titicaca and on numerous islands.
Floating islands on Titicaca
One of the striking sights of this lake is the islands, which are of artificial origin. They are skillfully woven from reed and, among other things, are floating. There are more than forty of them on the lake. The Uros Indians build mobile islands and live on them all their lives. They hunt birds, fish, build reed houses, boats and the islands themselves, as well as make souvenirs and make tourists feel welcome to live on.
Each floating island consists of several layers of reed. The lowest layers are washed out over time by the water current, so new ones are constantly added from above. The inhabitants of the numerous islands communicate with each other and the mainland by means of boats. The Indians cook food right on the islands. They do this on a fire set on stones. Some islands have solar panels that allow the Indians to use some electrical appliances.
