The charango is a small South American stringed instrument of the lute family, about 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. It typically has 10 strings in five courses of 2 strings each, although other variations exist.
The instrument was invented in the early 18th century in the Viceroyalty of Peru, a South American entity that was controlled by Spain during the times of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. .
