Not only could I not answer ‘Madre de Dios’ but didn’t even recognise it. Well, that’s rectifiable, and at least being aware of Peruvian regions will surely result in an easy point one day.
Questions
Born in Manila and the mother of Enrique Iglesias, who is the current partner of Mario Vargas Llosa?
ISABEL PREYSLER
Which first Mario Vargas Llosa novel is about the theft of an examination paper and the subsequent cover up of Cadet’s murder by Jaguar? The original title was “La Ciudad y los perros”.
THE TIME OF THE HERO
Like a ‘coat of many colours’ and featuring patterns divided into rows, what is a type of rectangular, woven shoulder cloth worn by Quechua women?
LLICLLA
Usually topped by a large ornate circular design although it can take other shapes, what is a long straight pin that can tie a lliclla at the front?
TUPU
Commonly having two colourful bands on the outside and elaborate patterns along the middle, what is a quechua belt used to fasten a skirt?
CHUMPI
Most often seen in a bright red design with fancy patterns on the edges and not intended to fully close, what is a traditional Quechua jacket?
JOBONA
A word also associated with the hat worn by bullfighters, what is the name of the quechua hat tied under the chin, usually red around the rim with a fancy pattern on the top?
MONTERA
What is the name of the woven strap of predominantly white beads that ties a montera under a chin?
SANQ’APA
The black polleras commonly worn by Andean women in Peru are trimmed with what colourful band with elaborate patterns?
PUYTO
Which Andean sandals that are made from recycled tires give their name to a range of similar shoes made by Nike?
OJOTAS
Including thirteen towers that have been interpreted as an ancient observatory, which monumental complex in the Peruvian coastal desert found in Ancash department was added to the World heritage list in 2021?
CHANKILLO
For which party did Alan Garcia rule as president? His two terms are the only time they’ve ever been in power.
APRISTA / AMERICAN POPULAR REVOLUTIONARY ALLIANCE
Gaining prominence for his opposition to Alberto Fujimori, who was president prior to Alan Garcia’s second term, ruling from 2001 to 2006? In 2019 he was arrested in the US and a year later the court approved his extradition to Peru for charges of collusion and money laundering.
ALEJANDRO TOLEDO
Leading a mass protest known as ‘El Manguerazo’ or ‘The Hosedown’ where he calmed protesters down and symbolically walked up to the police chief with a Peruvian flag, which Peruvian president who was deposed in a 1968 coup, regained the presidency from 1980 to 1985?
FERNANDO BELAÚNDE
Located in Piedmont, in which Italian town did Jorge Chavez crash? It gives its name to the letter D in an Italian spelling alphabet.
DOMODOSSOLA
What term refers to Peruvians of Japanese ancestry? This is the second largest group of Japanese in South America after Brazil.
NIKKEI
Peruvian independence wasn’t recognised by the Spanish until which year, also the one when the War of the Pacific began?
1879
Having a few alternate names, which oldest civilisation of the Americas that is considered to be one of the five cradles of civilisation is dated back to around 3,500 BC? The ruins of a sacred city added to the World Heritage list in 2009 are situated in Barranca province.
NORTE CHICO / CARAL / CARAL-SUPE
Which university in Lima was the first to be founded in the Americas?
SAN MARCOS
Following which battle of 1824 was Peru’s independence confirmed, although some further campaigns still occurred afterwards?
AYACUCHO
What alliterative economic grouping is made up of Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Chile?
PACIFIC PUMAS
Named for a city in Spain, which 1529 document authorised Pizarro to proceed with the conquest of Peru?
CAPITULACIÓN DE TOLEDO
Which conquistador founded Panama City in 1519? He was governor of Panama at the time and later became governor of Nicaragua.
PEDRO ARIAS DÁVILA / DE AVILA
Which chronicler, born to an Incan mother, is considered the earliest mestizo in the history of the Americas? He wrote “Historia de la Florida” and “Comentarios Reales de los Incas”.
INCA GARCILOSO DE LA VEGA / EL INCA
What is the full name of the Chavín world heritage site, carbon dated to at least 3,000 BC?
CHAVÍN DE HUANTAR
Chavín de Huantar is situated at the headwaters of which river, the mainstem source of the Amazon? It becomes the Amazon when it joins the Ucayali.
MARAÑÓN
Chavín de Huantar is situated in which Peruvian region that lies north of Lima? Having its capital at Huaraz with its largest city being the port of Chimbote, it also includes Peru’s highest mountain Huascarán.
ANCASH
Chan Chan was the capital of which culture that were conquered by the Inca in 1470?
CHIMU
Which rare and slow-moving histricognath rodent can be found in Peru’s Manu National Park? It is the sole member of the family Dinomyidae, meaning ‘terrible mouse’.
PACARANA
The yellow-tailed woolly monkey was thought to be extinct, but can be found in which Peruvian world heritage site in San Martin region? It is also known for its archaeological remains, usually attributed to the Chacapoyas culture.
RIO ABISEO
Of which white volcanic rock are many buildings in Arequipa built from? This leads to the Arequipa nickname ‘la ciudad blanca’.
SILLAR
By what name is the Inca Road System World Heritage Site known in Quechua, being shared by the six countries of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina?
QHAPAQ ÑAN
‘Peruvian songbird’ Yma Sumac is considered to fall into which musical genre that takes its name from a 1957 Martin Denny album and refers to an ersatz, non-native, pseudo experience of music from places like Hawaii, the Americas and tribal Africa?
EXOTICA
Sharing its name with the ‘Warriors of the Clouds’, Chachapoyas is the capital of which northern Peruvian region, sharing its name with states in both Brazil and Venezuela?
AMAZONAS
Which largest region of Peru has its capital at Iquitos, notable for being the largest city in the world that can’t be reached by road?
LORETO
Named the ‘City of Orchids’ because of the thousands of species found in the area, which capital of the inland San Martín province is not the region’s largest city, with this honour going to the ‘City of Palms’ Tarapoto?
MOYOBAMBA
Which region in the north on the border with Ecuador that has a namesake capital also has the stunning ‘Los Frailones’ of Cumbemayo, volcanic pillars that make up a stone forest across the landscape? A certain battle also took place here.
CAJAMARCA
Lying in the far north-west of Peru and having a coastal border with Ecuador, which small region of Peru with a namesake capital might be a place to risk ceviche, with its black scallop variety being a local speciality?
TUMBES
With a coastal area nearby being used as a setting for the 1958 film “The Old Man and the Sea”, which capital of a namesake province south of Tumbes that lies in the Sechura Desert was founded by Francisco Pizarro, leading to its nickname of ‘The First City’, though being known as the ‘City of Eternal Heat’ may put one off visiting?
PIURA
Taking its name from an ancient Pre-Incan civilisation that succeeded the Moche culture, with the Tucumé mud-brick pyramids also being situated here and known by locals as ‘Purgatorio’? Its capital can be found at Chiclayo, Peru’s fourth largest city.
LAMBAYEQUE
The region of La Libertad has which city as its capital, the third largest in the country and situated in the Moche Valley, also being a good base to visit Chan Chan and Huaca del Sol?
TRUJILLO
The Andes sub-range Huayhuash which contains Yerupajá, one of Peru’s largest peaks, covers the regions of Lima, Ancash and which other, which has a namesake capital and lies quite central in the country?
HUÁNUCO
Named for a river and having its capital at ‘Red dirt’ Pucallpa, which second largest region of Peru is bordered by the Brazilian state of Acre to the east?
UCAYALI
Its capital going by the same name with the addition of the preceding words ‘Cerro de’ and being a contender for the highest in the world to have a population of over 50,000, which central state has Lima to the west and Ucayali to the east?
PASCO
Perhaps surprisingly the Lima Region does not have its de facto capital there but at what much smaller place, known as the ‘City of Hospitality’ and home to a guinea pig festival? It should be noted that Lima is the ‘de jure’ capital.
HAUCHO
Having Huancayo as its capital, which region that shares its name with Peru’s largest lake is situated to the east of Lima?
JUNÍN
Near to Manú National Park, which capital of the large Madre de Dios region includes the surname of a Formula 1 driver, actually referring to an explorer who travelled the length of the Madre de Dios river to establish its course and died on the Mamoré river after his boat overturned on rapids?
PUERTO MALDONADO
Landlocked to the south of Junín and south-west of Lima, which region with a namesake capital is one of the ones most associated with the ‘Danza de las tijeras’ or ‘Dance of the scissors’, which is recognised by Unesco on its Intangible Heritage List? Another claim to fame is that it’s home to the world’s youngest mother, Lina Medina, who gave birth at the age of 5.
HUANCAVELICA
Having the shortest name of any Peruvian region and located on the coast, which region is home to Nazca province, and thus the city of Nazca and its world famous lines?
ICA
The most famous of all the fantastic historical sites littering Peru, Machu Picchu can be found in which region that lies to the south-west of Madre de Dios, that shares a namesake capital?
CUSCO
Which Peruvian seaport and city that is contained within a namesake region is entirely surrounded by the Lima region?
CALLAO
Having a name particularly well known from a battle, which region that was one of the hardest hit by the Shining Path guerrilla war has a capital of the same name? There were discussions to merge with Ica and Huancavelica, possibly in order to reduce the number of regions quizzers needed to swot up on, but that didn’t happen.
AYACUCHO
Apparently meaning ‘Where the gods speak’ in Quechua as the mountains in the area appear to talk to each other, which region has its capital at Abancay, which may mean ‘lily’?
APURÍMAC
A territory of the Tiahuanacos and one of the largest in the country, which Peruvian region has a namesake capital that lies on Lake Titicaca?
PUNO
Peru’s third most visited tourist attraction, which canyon twice the depth of the Grand Canyon can be found in the southern region of Arequipa?
COLCA CANYON
Typically having a capital of the same name, which Peruvian region is home to the Chen Chen geoglyphs and lies in the heart of the Pisco-producing area?
MOQUEGUA
What southernmost Peruvian region with a (yawn!) capital of the same name gives its name to an 1880 battle that resulted in a victory for Chile and a significant turning point in the War of the Pacific, with Bolivia being knocked out of the fighting?
TACNA
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