Lake Titicaca is the largest Lake in South America and is shared between Peru and Bolivia. It is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 m (12,500 ft) above sea level. Lake Titicaca is fed by rainfall and meltwater from glaciers on the sierras that abut the Altiplano. The lake has 41 islands among which many are inhabited and densely populated and also has floating artificial islands (Los Uros).
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. But translated in Mauritian creole, TitiCaca means “Shit that smells”..
