Titicaca, Lake

Members of the ancient Uru people, living on Lake Titicaca, make boats using the tortora reeds that grow in the shallows along the shores of the lake. Titicaca is divided between Peru and Bolivia. This photograph was taken near the Uros islands, close to the Peruvian lake port of Puno.

Boats made of reedlike papyrus are used by the Uru Indians living on the floating Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca. The lake, which is divided between Peru and Bolivia, is the largest in South America.

Religious procession in the town of Copacabana, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.

Lake Titicaca in the Andes, between Peru and Bolivia, is the world's highest navigable waterway.

Lake in the Andes, 3,810 m/12,500 ft above sea level and 1,220 m/4,000 ft above the treeline; area 8,300 sq km/3,200 sq mi, the largest lake in South America, and the world's highest navigable body of water. It is divided between Bolivia (port at Guaqui) and Peru (ports at Puno (principal port) and Huancane). The lake is fed by several streams which originate in the snow-capped surrounding mountains. It has a maximum depth of 280 m/920 ft and a mean annual temperature of 11°C/51°F, and moderates the climate of the surrounding area so that crops such as maize, barley, and potatoes can be grown. The lake contains enormous frogs, which are farmed, the legs being an edible delicacy, and there is some trout farming. The herding of alpacas and llamas is also common. It is one of the few places in the world where balsas (reed boats) are still made, and here the craft is practised by the Uru indigenous people. The lake is also used for irrigation.