What did guinea pigs originate from?

Guinea pigs, despite their name, did not originate from Guinea. They are native to the Andes Mountains of South America, specifically a region that encompasses parts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia.

Their original name was "Cuy" in the Quechua language, the language spoken by indigenous people in the Andes region.

They were domesticated by indigenous people for thousands of years, primarily for their meat and fur. They were only brought to Europe in the 16th century by European explorers, where they were initially called "cavies" due to their resemblance to the South American rodent called a "cavy". The name "guinea pig" likely came from the fact that they were originally exported from Guinea, West Africa, though they were never native there.