Machu Picchu is located in Peru in the Andes Mountains near the end of the Amazon River. It was constructed around 1450 during the height of the Inca Empire and abandoned just over 100 years later. Machu Picchu was built at a high elevation for protection and to avoid diseases. However, it was difficult to survive at such an altitude with scarce resources. The site was later discovered by explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. Tourism now brings economic benefits but also crowds the small streets and poses environmental threats if not managed sustainably.

1. Machu Picchu By Joe Faccenda

2. Machu is located in Peru. It is in the Andes Mountain range. And on the end of the Amazon. Location

3. Machu Picchu was founded in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. It is found in the high mountains of the Andes. The climate in Machu Picchu is very high up and therefore very low on Oxygen. They are many houses all hand made with very amazing techniques so withstand earthquakes. And they are all very similar Intro to Machu Picchu

4. Machu Picchu was constructed around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned just over 100 years later, in 1572. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area. It was later discovered by an explorer called Hiram Bingham. History

5. Labelled Diagram

6. The Incas were very advanced for their time. They knew that if they built there settlement in the top of a mountain that they would be very well protected. Also because they are very high up they would be able to see if there was any danger or attackers coming from any angle. Finally at the bottom of the of the mountain there is a river which goes around the whole mountain. Also as you get higher up you start to escape dieses and less insects can survive such as mosquitoes. Why Build it there?

7. Although there are a lot of good reasons to build the settlement up so high there are a lot of bad things. Firstly it would be very hard to carry all of the buildings supplies and raw materials up so high and because it is so high it would be very hard to build in those conditions. Secondly it would be hard to grow or find food up there. Finally it would be hard to generally survive. Why not to build it there?

8. I think that Machu Picchu was abandoned for a few reasons firstly I think that it would be very hard to survive up so high. Secondly if the Spanish army did come then the Incas immune systems would of been very bad and they could of tired to flee but ended up dying. Finally they might of been attacked by another tribe. Why was it abandoned

9. I think that this settlement would of been used for a place for people to worship in nature and try and find out who they really were. A lot of people who went to live in Machu Picchu who of loved nature and wanted a life of sanctity. My opinion

10. Impacts of tourism

11. Social – tourism bring in outside money, also it gives more jobs to the locals to be scerpa’s Economic – The site attracts high spending tourists which spend a lot of money, also the government get more tax from the tourists staying at expensive hotels and leisure. Environmental – because all of the tourists (the majority) walk along the Inca trail it doesn’t in anyway hurt the environment. Tourism on local people - Positives

12. Social – Crowding and congestion on the roads, footpaths and in the narrow streets. Economic – In the off season all of the locals that get paid off meaning that they don't get paid a big wage for them to support his/her family Environmental – Up to 2,000 people visit the Machu Picchu citadel every day, with visitor numbers growing at 6 percent a year. The site is being slowly eroded by tourists' feet. Tourism on local people - Negative

13. How is it being preserved