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One of the major Attractions in Puno are The Islands of Uros. The city and the region of Puno are in southeastern Peru. The city of Puno is situated by the famous Lake Titicaca and is also the capital of Puno region and Puno Province. The Uros people reside on The Islands of Uros which is famous world over.
'Uros' is the name of the group of pre-Incan people who live on The Islands of Uros. These islands are self floating man made islets on Lake Titicaca. The Uros make the islands and their boats are made with totora plants which are dried and bundled together. These islands can be reached easily from Puno city which is well connected by rail, air and water.
The Islands of the Uros are 5 kilometers west of Puno harbor and it takes 20 minutes by boat. There are 20 islands which can be found in the Bay of Puno. There are three to ten Uro-Aymara families living on each of these families. Their houses are roofed by totora reed carpets. The largest islands among The Uros Islands are -
- Tupiri
- Santa Marķa
- Tribuna
- Toranipata
- Chumi
- Paraiso
- Kapi
- Titino
- Tinajero
- Negrone
The Uro people call themselves 'Kotsuna' which means the lake people. The origins of the people go back to the ancient Incas. Many of them hunt wild birds and fidh using traditional fishing methods. The Uro men are known for the skillful handling of the totora reed boats while the women are excellent knitters.
All these Islands of Uros are part of the Titicaca National Reserve which was created in 1978. Its main aim was to preserve the 37,000 hectares of marsh reeds of the north and south sectors of the lake.
For further reference on The Islands of Uros, kindly check travel.mapsofworld.com.
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