Bald Uakari - Peru

Quechua, an indigenous language of the Andean region, is spoken by 9 million people. It was the official language of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire. There are numerous extant Amerindian languages and Quechua, with its many dialects, has the largest number of native speakers; the Guarani language ranks second.

- - - - -

Cacajao calvus - The bald uakari and two other species of the Cebidae family are three of the few short-tailed monkeys in the Americans. These species lack facial hair and when excited, the face, already red from lack of skin pigment, becomes flushed in bright scarlet. A typical uakari group consists of 10 to 30 members passing the day feeding on nuts and fruits found in the higher canopies of the forest. The uakari is confined to a small area in South America. Habitat loss and human encroachment has placed the uakari on the endangered list.

Potato - Peru

Solanum tuberosum - Potato plants are herbaceous perennials. They grow to about 60 centimeters in height and are usually pollinated by insects such as the bumble bee, but are capable of self-fertilization. Potatoes were domesticated in Southern Peru approximately 7,000 to 10,000 years ago and have since become the world’s 4th most important food crop following maize, wheat, and rice. There are over 4,000 varieties of the potato, each grown to suit different soils, climate or taste.

- - - - -

The small municipality of La Rinconada, located in Peru’s San Antonio de Putina Province, is the world’s highest permanent settlement. The town is situated in the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of 5,100 meters. There are approximately 30,000 people living in La Rinconada, most being of Quechua ancestry. A nearby gold mine provides the only means of employment for the citizens of La Rinconada. Living at extreme altitudes can cause hypoxemia, a condition occurring when blood is oxygen starved.