Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located at the edge of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, at 3860 m (12421 ft) above sea level. It is also the capital and largest city of the Puno region and the Puno province.
Before the expansion of the Inca Empire, present-day Puno, in the southernmost part of Peru, was home to the Tiahuanaco culture, the apex of Aymara human development, as shown by archaeological remains discovered in the area.
Puno is also believed to have been the cradle of the Inca civilization, as legend has it that Manco Capac, the first Inca, rose from the waters of Lake Titicaca, under the orders of the Sun God, to found the Inca Empire.
In 1668, viceroy Conde de Lemos established San Juan Bautista de Puno as the capital of the province of Paucarcolla. Later, it was called San Carlos de Puno, in honor of the ruling king, Charles II of Spain.
From that moment, the town began to change physically, as the Spanish priests, in their eagerness to evangelize the natives, built the churches which still stand today.
This region of Peru is famous for its varied and colorful folk traditions, as it has some of the most dazzling and richest folklore ceremonies to be witnessed in this part of the continent.
Today, Puno is an important agricultural and livestock region; particularly of South American camelids (llamas and alpacas) which graze on its immense plateaus and plains.
Puno is surrounded by 41 floating islands, and to this day Uros still depend on the lake for their survival.
The area surrounding the city was where the Aymara civilization started.