Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru: the 9 things in which no one can surpass the Peruvians

(CNN Spanish) -

Peru is a destination to discover at every step: its people, its history, its ancestral sites, its food and its traditions make it unique in Latin America.

And while this Wednesday celebrates the bicentennial of its independence, we decided to remember the 9 things in which no one can beat Peruvians.

1.Has the most interesting place in the world: Machu Picchu

The 2016 Traveller's Choice Awards, which TripAdvisor awards each year based on the opinions of its users, crowned the famous Peruvian ruins as the most interesting destination in the world.

Machu Picchu is the contemporary name given to an Inca llaqta - an ancient Andean town - built in the mid-15th century in Peru.

2. His food is queen worldwide

For the fifth consecutive year, Peru was chosen as the Best Culinary Destination in the World by the World Travel Awards. 

3. They love alpacas

Peru has its own National Alpaca Day and it is the country where you will find the most of these animals: it is home to 87% of the world's population.

It is also the leading producer of alpaca fiber.

4. They are the creators of the Inca Kola

The popular drink has been around the world and, as its slogan indicates, it is the flavor that makes them unique.

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(Credit: Facebook Inca Kola)

5. Its territory gave birth to pisco sour

Although the name of the best pisco Peru is still disputed with Chile, nobody beats it in the origin and tradition of pisco sour.

The popular cocktail was declared a Cultural Heritage of the country in 2007 and its national day is celebrated on the first Saturday of every February, but its creator is not Peruvian.

6. They have the oldest university in America

The National University of San Marcos, which is located in Lima, was the first in America.

According to the institution's website, it was founded on May 12, 1551 and since then its operation has been uninterrupted.

The Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (formerly known as Theology and Arts) is also the oldest on the continent, as it was the first to open the university.

7. They are the ones that produce the most potatoes in the region

No country in Latin America beats Peru in potato production: in 2016 it harvested 4.5 million tons.

The country has a total of 318,530 hectares dedicated to this crop.

And like many of its flagship products, it also has a National Potato Day.

(Credit: ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP / Getty Images)

8. They have fought hard against poverty

It was the Latin American country that reduced poverty the most between 2001 and 2014. ECLAC informed the official newspaper

El Peruano

 that it reduced poverty levels by 32 percentage points from 54.7% to 22.7% during that period.

9. It is one of the countries that walks the most in Latin America

Research from Stanford University, which used the cell phones of 717,527 people in 111 countries to measure their steps, found that Peru is the second country in Latin America that walks the most.

Editor's Note:

This note was originally published in 2017 and was updated in 2021.

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