Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca (Spanish: Lago Titicaca), at 3821 m above sea level, is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world http://www.highestlake.com/highest-lake-world.html. With a surface area of approximately 8300 square kilometres Titicaca is South America's largest freshwater lake. The partly-salt Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is bigger, at about 13,000 square kilometres, but some say it should be classified as a sea because it is connected to the ocean.

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Spanish - M - 8300 square kilometres - South America - Lake - Lake Maracaibo - Venezuela

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Located in the Altiplano high in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia, Titicaca has an average depth of between 140 and 180 m, and a maximum depth of 280 m. The western part of the lake belongs to the Puno region of Peru, and the eastern side is located in the Bolivian La Paz Department.

Related Topics:
Altiplano - Peru - Bolivia - Puno region - La Paz Department

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More than 25 rivers empty into Titicaca, and the lake has 41 islands – some of which are densely populated.

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Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, nine artificial islands made of floating reeds. These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno. Another island, Taquile, is another tourist attraction featuring a different indigenous community. The Taquile locals are known for their handwoven textile products, which are some of the highest quality handicrafts in Peru.

Related Topics:
Uros - Artificial island - Peru - Puno - Taquile

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Titicaca is fed by rainfall and meltwater from glaciers on the sierras that abut the Altiplano. It is drained by the Desaguadero River, which flows south through Bolivia to Lake Poopó; however, this effluent accounts for less than five per cent of the water loss, the rest being accounted for by evaporation as a result of the strong winds and intense sunlight at this altitude.

Related Topics:
Sierra - Altiplano - Desaguadero River - Bolivia - Lake Poopó

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The origin of the name Titicaca is unknown. It has been translated as "Rock Puma", allegedly because of its resemblance to the shape of a puma hunting a rabbit, combining words from the local languages Quechua and Aymara, and as "Crag of Lead". Locally, the lake goes by several names.

Related Topics:
Quechua - Aymara

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Because the southeast quarter of the lake is separated from the main body by the Strait of Tiquina, the Bolivians call this smaller part Lago Huiñaymarca and the larger part Lago Chucuito. In Peru, these smaller and larger parts are referred to as Lago Pequeño and Lago Grande, respectively.

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