Editing Machu Picchu (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Peru - Machu Picchu 038 - lush, rugged valley (7367125008).jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|left|Panoramic view of Machu Picchu from Machu Picchu mountain surrounded by the [[Urubamba River]]]]
Machu Picchu lies in the [[Southern Hemisphere]], 13.111 degrees south of the [[equator]].{{sfn|Wright| Valencia Zegarra|2004|p= ix}} It is {{convert|80|km|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} northwest of [[Cusco]], on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about {{convert|2430|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} [[above mean sea level]], over {{convert|1000|m|ft|sp=us}} lower than Cusco, which has an elevation of {{convert|3400|m|ft|abbr=|sp=us}}.{{sfn|Wright| Valencia Zegarra|2004|p= ix}} As such, it had a milder climate than the Inca capital. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Latin America and the most visited in Peru.{{sfn|Davies|1997|p=163}}

Machu Picchu is situated above a bow of the [[Urubamba River]], which surrounds the site on three sides, where cliffs drop vertically for {{convert|450|m|ft|sp=us}} to the river at their base. The area is subject to morning mists rising from the river.{{sfn|Wright|Valencia Zegarra|2004|p=1}} When inhabited by the Incas, the location of the city was a military secret, and its deep precipices and steep mountains provided natural defenses. The [[Inca Bridge]], an [[Inca rope bridge|Inca grass rope bridge]], across the Urubamba River in the [[Pongo de Mainique]], provided a secret entrance for the Inca army. Another Inca bridge was built to the west of Machu Picchu, the tree-trunk bridge, at a location where a gap occurs in the cliff that measures {{convert|6|m|ft|sp=us}}.

[[File:99 - Machu Picchu - Juin 2009.edit3.jpg|thumb|Machu Picchu as seen from [[Wayna Picchu]]]]

The city sits in a saddle between the two mountains Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, with a view down two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its back.{{sfn|Wright| Valencia Zegarra|2004|p= 1}} The agricultural terraces, covering about {{Convert|4.9|ha|acre}}, complemented the site's architecture and protected against runoff and erosion. Constructed with stone retaining walls and well-drained topsoil, the terraces were built using deeper strata and stone chips to enhance drainage and ensure stability.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Wright | first1=Kenneth R. | last2=Zegarra | first2=Alfredo Valencia | last3=Lorah | first3=William L. | title=Ancient Machu Picchu Drainage Engineering | journal=Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering | publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | volume=125 | issue=6 | year=1999 | issn=0733-9437 | doi=10.1061/(asce)0733-9437(1999)125:6(360) | pages=360–369| bibcode=1999JIDE..125..360W }}</ref> Two high-altitude routes from Machu Picchu cross the mountains back to Cusco, one through the [[Sun Gate]], and the other across the Inca bridge. Both could have been blocked easily, should invaders have approached along them.

Machu Picchu and other sites in the area are built over [[earthquake fault]]s. According to research conducted in 2019, this may not be a coincidence: "[o]ne simple answer, researchers now suggest, is that that's [earthquake faults] where building materials for the site—large amounts of already fractured rock—were readily available."<ref>{{cite web | title = Machu Picchu was built over major fault zones. Now, researchers think they know why | url = https://www.science.org/content/article/machu-picchu-was-built-over-major-fault-zones-now-researchers-think-they-know-why | last = Perkins | first = Sid | website = [[Science Magazine]] | publisher = [[American Association for the Advancement of Science ]] (AAAS) | date = 24 September 2019 | access-date = 2024-08-12 }}</ref>

===Climate===
Between the [[Sacred Valley|valley floor]] and the altitudinal zone of the Inca citadel, ranging from {{convert|2200|m|ft}} to {{convert|2500|m|ft}} meters above sea level, the climate is warm and humid, with an average annual precipitation of {{convert|2010|mm|in}} and an annual mean temperature of approximately {{convert|18|C|F}}. The site is characterized by steep slopes, dense vegetation, and significant rainfall, contributing to high humidity levels of 80–90%. The area is also frequently enveloped in [[cloud cover]], typical of a [[cloud forest]] environment.<ref name="masterplan">{{cite web | last1=SERNANP | last2=Dirección Descentralizada de Cultura de Cusco | title=Plan maestro del Santuario Histórico de Machupicchu 2015–2019 | trans-title=Machupicchu Historic Sanctuary Master Plan 2015-2019 | date=2015 | url=https://www.culturacusco.gob.pe/dmdocuments/machupicchu/DIAGNOSTICO_FINAL.pdf | publisher=[[Ministry of Environment (Peru)|Ministry of Environment]] and [[Ministry of Culture (Peru)|Ministry of Culture]] | access-date=12 August 2024 | author1-link=SERNANP }}</ref>

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|location = Machu Picchu (elevation {{convert|2399|m|ft|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals)
|Jan high C = 20.6
|Feb high C = 20.6
|Mar high C = 21.0
|Apr high C = 21.5
|May high C = 21.9
|Jun high C = 22.0
|Jul high C = 22.1
|Aug high C = 23.1
|Sep high C = 23.4
|Oct high C = 22.8
|Nov high C = 22.8
|Dec high C = 21.2
|year high C = 
|Jan low C = 11.8
|Feb low C = 11.9
|Mar low C = 11.9
|Apr low C = 11.7
|May low C = 10.8
|Jun low C = 10.0
|Jul low C = 9.4
|Aug low C = 10.0
|Sep low C = 11.1
|Oct low C = 11.5
|Nov low C = 12.0
|Dec low C = 12.0
|year low C =  
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 340.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 324.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 340.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 184.1
|May precipitation mm = 73.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 50.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 54.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 60.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 76.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 163.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 172.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 275.4
|year precipitation mm = 
|source 1 = National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru<ref name = SENAMHI>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230821192714/https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=normales-estaciones
| archive-date = 21 August 2023
| url = https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=normales-estaciones
| title = Normales Climaticás Estándares y Medias 1991–2020
| publisher=[[National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru]]
| access-date = 22 August 2023}}</ref>
}}