Welcome to Quare, the educational podcast for young and old alike. Today, in the Geography category, our episode is dedicated to Peru.

What is Peru?

Peru is a large country in South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and sharing borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. It's the third largest country in South America. Its capital is Lima, a megacity of more than ten million people on the Pacific coast.

And what is it known for?

First and foremost for Machu Picchu, the Inca city perched at 2,400 meters in the Andes, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. But also for the Nazca Lines, huge drawings etched into the desert and only visible from the air, whose meaning is still not known for certain.

Peru is also famous for its extreme landscapes: Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, the Amazon rainforest, and the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

What's the history of Peru?

Peruvian territory has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years. Several civilizations followed one another there, including the Nazca culture, famous for its lines, and the Wari culture. But the greatest was the Inca Empire, called Tawantinsuyu, which stretched from present-day Chile to Colombia. It was one of the largest empires in history, governed from Cuzco.

Weren't they colonized?

Oh yes, by the conquistadors. In 1532, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro arrived with just a few hundred soldiers and managed to destroy the Inca Empire, which had been weakened by an internal civil war. The Inca ruler Atahualpa was captured, a huge ransom in gold and silver was paid, and he was executed anyway. It's one of the most brutal conquests in history.

And independence?

Peru declared its independence in 1821, thanks in large part to the liberator José de San Martín, an Argentine general who had already liberated Argentina and Chile. The liberation of the continent was completed by Simón Bolívar, the great liberator of all of South America.

Who runs Peru today?

Peru is a democratic republic. The president is elected for five years. Peruvian political life is often turbulent: the country has had many presidents, corruption scandals, and repeated political crises. This contrasts with the country's relative economic stability.

What language do they speak there?

Spanish is the main official language. But Quechua, the language of the Incas, is also an official language and is spoken by millions of people, especially in the Andes. Aymara is also present around Lake Titicaca. Peru is home to more than 40 different Indigenous languages.

What currency is used there?

The official currency is the Peruvian sol.

What is Peru's geography like?

Peru is a country with extremely varied landscapes. There are three main regions: the Costa, a desert coastal strip along the Pacific; the Sierra, the Andes with their snow-capped peaks, valleys, and high plateaus called puna; and the Selva, the Amazon rainforest, which covers more than 60% of the territory.

The highest point is Huascarán, at 6,768 meters. The Amazon River has its sources in Peru, in the Andes, before crossing Brazil all the way to the Atlantic.

What is Lake Titicaca?

It's the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world, at 3,812 meters above sea level, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Uros communities live there on floating islands made of reeds. It's a fascinating sight.

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Welcome to Quare, the educational podcast for young and old alike. Today, in the Sport category, our episode is dedicated to Jonah Lomu.

Who is Jonah Lomu?

Jonah Lomu is one of the most impressive rugby players the world has ever seen. He was born in 1975 in Auckland, New Zealand, into a family of Tongan heritage. He wore the famous All Blacks jersey and is widely regarded as the first rugby player to become a true global superstar — famous far beyond the world of rugby itself.

What are the All Blacks?

The All Blacks are New Zealand’s national rugby team. Their nickname comes from their all-black kit. They are considered the most successful team in the history of rugby union, and wearing that jersey is the dream of every young New Zealander. They are also famous for the haka — a traditional Polynesian war dance they perform facing their opponents before every match.

What made Jonah Lomu so special?

Everything! He stood 1.96 metres tall and weighed close to 120 kilograms. But despite that giant frame, he could run 100 metres in under 11 seconds. Can you imagine? A player built like a wardrobe, running almost as fast as a sprinter. For any defender who had to stop him, it was a near-impossible mission.

What position did he play?

He was a wing — the player who receives the ball on the sides of the pitch and charges towards the try line to score. In that role, Lomu was devastating: he combined a sprinter’s speed with a forward’s power. Defenders could choose to sidestep him or take him on head-first. Either way, he usually won.

How did he come to play rugby?

He grew up in a poor neighbourhood of Auckland, in an unstable home environment. He found in rugby a structure, a sense of belonging, and a substitute family. His physical gifts and talent quickly caught the eye. At just 19, in 1994, he became the youngest player in history to wear the All Blacks jersey.

When did he become famous around the world?

In 1995, at the Rugby World Cup in South Africa. He was only 20 years old, and he delivered a performance rugby had never seen before. In the semi-final against England, he scored four tries on his own. He knocked opponents over, ran straight through others, brushed them aside with one hand like skittles. New Zealand won 45–29. And Jonah Lomu became, overnight, rugby’s first global superstar.

Is there one particular moment from that match everyone remembers?

Yes! His very first try, just seventy seconds into the game. An English defender by the name of Mike Catt stood in his way near the line. Lomu didn’t sidestep him, didn’t slow down — he simply ran over him. Literally. Mike Catt ended up on the ground, and Lomu touched down. That image went around the world. Years later, a journalist asked Mike Catt how he lived with that memory. He replied with good humour: “At least I won the World Cup in 2003.”

Why did he say that? Jonah Lomu never won the World Cup?

No, and that’s the great paradox of his career. Jonah Lomu was never world champion. In 1995, the All Blacks lost the final to South Africa, the host nation. In 1999, Lomu scored eight tries in the tournament — a new record — but the All Blacks fell in the semi-final against France, in one of the greatest upsets in the history of French rugby. He finished his career with 63 caps and 37 tries for the All Blacks, but no world title.

Does he hold a World Cup record?

Yes! He ended his career with 15 World Cup tries, a record he still shares today with South Africa’s Bryan Habana.www.quare.club

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Welcome to Quare, the educational podcast for young and old alike. Today, in the Science and Nature category, this episode is all about the swallow.

What is a swallow?

It's a small migratory bird, easily recognized by its pointed wings, forked tail, and blue-black plumage with a red or white throat depending on the species. It is a symbol of spring: its return to temperate regions marks the arrival of warmer weather every year.

How big is it and how much does it weigh?

The swallow is a very lightweight little bird. The barn swallow, the most widespread in the world, measures between 17 and 21 cm long, including 6 to 10 cm for its long forked tail feathers. Its wingspan reaches about 33 cm. It weighs only 16 to 22 grams — roughly the weight of a sheet of paper. This lightness is essential for its long migrations and acrobatic flight.

How many species are there?

There are more than 80 species of swallows in the world, found on almost every continent except Antarctica. The best known are the barn swallow, the house martin, and the common swallow. The common swift looks very similar, but belongs to a different family.

Where does it live?

The swallow lives on nearly every continent. The species that nest and breed in temperate regions — Europe, Asia, North America — migrate every autumn to warmer areas to spend the winter. It frequents open areas such as fields, meadows, villages, and riverbanks. It adapts just as well to rural landscapes as to urban environments, as long as it can find insects to hunt and surfaces to nest on.

When is it active?

The swallow is a strictly diurnal bird. It is active from sunrise to sunset and hunts insects throughout the day. It is especially visible in the late afternoon, when insects fly in large numbers at low altitude. At night, it rests in its nest or perched on power lines or branches. In preparation for migration, swallows often gather in large flocks on telephone wires from late summer onward.

What does it eat?

The swallow is insectivorous. It feeds exclusively on insects, which it catches in flight with its open beak. In a single day, it can catch several hundred insects. It almost never lands to eat: it always hunts on the wing.

How does it fly?

The swallow is an exceptional aerial acrobat. It can reach speeds of 50 to 75 km/h and perform sharp turns, dives, and about-faces to catch its prey. Its sickle-shaped wings and forked tail give it remarkable maneuverability.

How does it build a nest?

The swallow builds its nest with mud, straw, and feathers. It carries the materials in its beak and sticks them together to form a cup or half-sphere shape. It often builds its nest under roofs, in barns, stables, or under bridges. Pairs often return to the same spot year after year.

How does it raise its young?

The female lays 3 to 6 eggs per clutch and can have 2 to 3 broods per summer. Both parents take part in incubating and feeding the young. After about 3 weeks, the chicks are ready to fly. They quickly learn to hunt in flight, just like their parents.

Does it live alone?

The swallow is a sociable bird. It sometimes nests in small colonies and often gathers with other swallow species to hunt or rest. Outside the breeding season, it can form very large flocks to migrate or sleep. However, each pair vigorously defends its own nest and does not tolerate intruders coming too close.

What is its life expectancy?

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Welcome to Quare, the educational podcast for young and old alike. Today, in the Art and Culture category, the episode is dedicated to Pablo Picasso.

Who is Pablo Picasso?

Pablo Picasso is one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century. He was born in 1881 in Málaga, Spain, and died in 1973 in France, at the age of 91. Painter, sculptor, engraver, ceramicist… he worked across many artistic fields for more than 75 years.

Why is he so famous?

Because, together with his friend Georges Braque, he invented a new artistic language: Cubism. Before him, painters sought to represent reality as it appears to the eye. Picasso, on the other hand, decided to show objects and faces from several angles at once, as if you were seeing them from the front, in profile, and from above all at the same time. The result is disorienting, geometric, revolutionary.

What exactly is Cubism?

It's an artistic movement born around 1907. Instead of depicting a scene from a single perspective, like a photograph, Cubism breaks shapes down into geometric facets and reassembles them in unexpected ways. In a Cubist portrait, you can see both eyes even though the face is in profile. It's unsettling at first glance, but it's a way of showing the complexity of reality, its many facets.

What are his best-known works?

Certainly the most famous is Guernica, a huge painting in black, white, and grey created in 1937. It depicts the bombing of the town of Guernica, in Spain, by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. It's a cry against war and barbarity. The twisted shapes, screaming mouths, and broken bodies carry overwhelming emotional violence. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, painted in 1907, is another major work that shocked the art world and launched Cubism.

Who inspired him?

He was strongly influenced by African art and ancient Iberian art. African masks, with their geometric and stylized shapes, fascinated him and fed into his Cubist style. He also admired Paul Cézanne, the French painter who sought to break forms down into simple volumes. And of course, El Greco, the great Spanish painter of the 16th century, shaped his training.

Is he criticized for anything?

For many things, and not minor ones. Picasso's relationships with women shocked people even in his own time: he used them as models, changed partners often, and some of his companions have described very harsh treatment. His granddaughter Marina wrote a book describing a cold and selfish man. His artistic talent is beyond question, but his personal life remains highly controversial.

Did he influence other artists?

Enormously so. Cubism influenced all of 20th-century architecture, design, fashion, and advertising. Artists like Juan Gris and Fernand Léger carried his work forward. In popular culture, traces of Picasso can be found in the sets of Star Wars or in video game design. He also influenced artists like Andy Warhol, who admired his ability to constantly reinvent himself.

Can you tell me an anecdote about Picasso?

Picasso was known for his sharp wit and cutting comebacks. One day, during the Occupation of Paris, a German officer is said to have shown him a photo of Guernica and asked: “Did you do that?” Picasso is said to have replied: “No, you did.” This anecdote illustrates his courage and his stand against Nazi barbarity, even as artists lived under threat.

What if I want to learn more about Picasso?

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Hello,

I'm Baptiste, and I'd like to introduce you to QUARE, spelled q-u-a-r-e. The idea for QUARE was born from conversations with my children.

Like many kids, their curiosity is such that they're always asking me lots of questions — questions I don't always know how to answer.

And above all, the first question leads to a second, then a third, a fourth, and so on… so there always comes a moment when I have to admit defeat.

QUARE means "Why" in Latin.

QUARE is an encyclopedic podcast created above all to answer children's questions. The topics we cover are geography, history, art, nature, and sport. So we'll explore the countries of the world, major historical figures, celebrities from the world of art and entertainment, animals, and top-level athletes.

I have to admit that after recording a few episodes, I've already learned a lot myself.

Since QUARÉ needs its listeners to keep improving, all your remarks, contributions, and comments will be very warmly welcomed.

If there's a theme or a personality you'd like us to cover, don't hesitate to let us know so we can work on it.

To contact us, head to Quare.club, q-u-a-r-e dot club, where you can also sign up for our newsletter.

And most importantly, if you'd like to help us, leave us a positive review with a 5-star rating on your listening app.

See you very soon on QUARE.

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