La Libertad Region
Encyclopedia
La Libertad is a region
in northwestern Peru
. Formerly it was known as the 'Department of La Libertad" (Department of La Libertad), a political division that generally corresponds to a state in the United States of America. It is bordered by the Lambayeque
, Cajamarca
and Amazonas
regions on the north, the San Martín Region
on the east, the Ancash
and Huánuco
regions on the south and the Pacific Ocean
on the west. Its capital is Trujillo
, which is the nation's third biggest city. The region's main port is Salaverry
, one of Peru's largest ports an adjunct of Trujillo,. The name of the region is Spanish
for freedom or liberty.
Trujillo, the capital of the La Libertad Region, has a great geographical importance and a good location. It is the point where the Andes
are linked to the Pacific Ocean
, as a result of the direction the coasts follow. The Andes first are seen from Trujillo, showing a row of low-elevation hills, but therefrom the Andean Plateau increases altitude sharply to the east, in the provinces of Otuzco
and Santiago de Chuco
. These two provinces comprise the Pacific hydrographic watershed, which give rise to the Moche and Virú rivers, to the south, and Chicama River to the north. Pacasmayo Province
, located more to the north is a coastal province. Sánchez Carrión Province
, to the east, drains into the AmazonRiver and therefore belongs to the Atlantic watershed.
As with other Regions of Perú, the La Libertad Region is separated into 12 Provincias, political divisions generally corresponding to counties in the United States of America. A Peruvian Region has as its head political executive a governor (governador), an elected official. The head political executive of each Provincia is a Lieutenant Governor (teniente governador), an official appointed by the Governor.
s (provincias), political divisions that generally correspond to counties in the United States of America. A Peruvian Region has as its head political executive a governor (governador), an elected official. The head political executive of each province is a lieutenant governor (teniente governador), an official appointed by the governor. These 12 provinces comprise a total of 80 district
s (distritos). The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
or Mochica culture. It was basically an agriculture and/or a warrior culture, which built countless temples and palaces such as the Sol
(Sun), Luna (Moon), El Brujo & Cao Viejo, and other huacas. The Chimú culture emerged later and built its capital in Chan Chan
, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America
, & huacas like Esmeralda & Arco Iris (Rainbow). At its zenith
, Chan Chan was home to 60,000 inhabitants who stubbornly resisted the expansion of the Inca Empire
. These ancient cultures used irrigation canals and water reservoirs, which systems were increasingly better engineered and extensive over the years. The technological acumen of these sophisticated agricultural systems was carried into the Inca Empire, which surrounded the remnants of the prior cultures. The Spanish colonizers destroyed most of the agricultural works to more effectively establish political control and provide de facto slave labor from the displaced native agriculturalists.
The archaeological remains of Chan Chan, 6 km (3.7 mi) northeast of downtown Trujillo, are rather well-preserved despite being built out of adobe
(mud bricks), largely because 1) dearth of rainfall and consequent erosion, and 2) lack of significant re-use of its construction materials (adobes do not respond easily to removal and transport and are relatively cheap to make on-site in current methods of construction).
Regions of Peru
The regions of Peru are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Peru. Since its 1821 independence, Peru had been divided into departments but faced the problem of an increasing centralization of political and economic power in its capital, Lima...
in northwestern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Formerly it was known as the 'Department of La Libertad" (Department of La Libertad), a political division that generally corresponds to a state in the United States of America. It is bordered by the Lambayeque
Lambayeque Region
Lambayeque is a region in northwestern Peru known for its rich Moche and Chimú historical past. The region's name originates from the ancient pre-Inca civilization of the Lambayeque.-Etymology:...
, Cajamarca
Cajamarca Region
Cajamarca is a region in Peru. The capital is the city of Cajamarca. It is located in the north part of the country and shares a border with Ecuador...
and Amazonas
Amazonas Region
Amazonas is a department of northern Peru bordered by Ecuador on the north and west, Cajamarca Department on the west, La Libertad Department on the south, and Loreto Department and San Martín Department on the east. Its capital is the city of Chachapoyas....
regions on the north, the San Martín Region
San Martín Region
San Martín is a region in northern Peru. Most of the region is located in the upper part of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Its capital is Moyobamba and the largest city in the region is Tarapoto.-Boundaries:* North and East: Loreto Region...
on the east, the Ancash
Ancash Region
Ancash is a region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad region on the north, the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the east, the Lima region on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz, and its largest city and port is Chimbote...
and Huánuco
Huánuco Region
Huánuco is a region in central Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad, San Martín, Loreto and Ucayali regions on the north; the Ucayali Region on the east; the Pasco Region on the south; and the Lima and Ancash regions on the west. Its capital is the city of Huánuco.Huánuco has a rough topography...
regions on the south and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
on the west. Its capital is Trujillo
Trujillo, Peru
Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru...
, which is the nation's third biggest city. The region's main port is Salaverry
Salaverry
Salaverry is a port town in the La Libertad Region, Peru. It is located at around . The port, rebuilt in the 1960s by an English company is able to accommodate large ships including tourist ships as those of the Carnival Company....
, one of Peru's largest ports an adjunct of Trujillo,. The name of the region is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for freedom or liberty.
Geography
La Libertad is the only Peruvian region that reaches all three Peruvian natural regions (coast, Sierra (highlands), and selva (rainforest).Trujillo, the capital of the La Libertad Region, has a great geographical importance and a good location. It is the point where the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
are linked to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, as a result of the direction the coasts follow. The Andes first are seen from Trujillo, showing a row of low-elevation hills, but therefrom the Andean Plateau increases altitude sharply to the east, in the provinces of Otuzco
Otuzco Province
The Otuzco Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Otuzco.-Political division:The province is divided into ten districts, which are:* Otuzco* Agallpampa* Charat* Huaranchal...
and Santiago de Chuco
Santiago de Chuco Province
The Santiago de Chuco Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Santiago de Chuco.-Political division:The province is divided into eight districts, which are:* Angasmarca* Cachicadán...
. These two provinces comprise the Pacific hydrographic watershed, which give rise to the Moche and Virú rivers, to the south, and Chicama River to the north. Pacasmayo Province
Pacasmayo Province
The Pacasmayo Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru; also Pacasmayo is the name of one of its districts. The capital of this province is the city of San Pedro de Lloc.-Political division:...
, located more to the north is a coastal province. Sánchez Carrión Province
Sánchez Carrión Province
The Sánchez Carrión Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. It is named in honor of José Faustino Sánchez Carrión. The capital of this province is the city of Huamachuco.-Political division:...
, to the east, drains into the AmazonRiver and therefore belongs to the Atlantic watershed.
As with other Regions of Perú, the La Libertad Region is separated into 12 Provincias, political divisions generally corresponding to counties in the United States of America. A Peruvian Region has as its head political executive a governor (governador), an elected official. The head political executive of each Provincia is a Lieutenant Governor (teniente governador), an official appointed by the Governor.
Political division
The Region is separated into 12 provinceProvince
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s (provincias), political divisions that generally correspond to counties in the United States of America. A Peruvian Region has as its head political executive a governor (governador), an elected official. The head political executive of each province is a lieutenant governor (teniente governador), an official appointed by the governor. These 12 provinces comprise a total of 80 district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s (distritos). The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
- AscopeAscope ProvinceAscope is a province in the La Libertad Region, Peru. It is bordered by the Trujillo Province on the south; the Pacasmayo Province on the north; the Cajamarcan province of Contumazá and the Otuzco and Gran Chimú provinces on the east; and the Pacific Ocean on the west...
(AscopeAscopeAscope is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Ascope in the region La Libertad....
) - BolívarBolívar Province (Peru)The Bolívar Province is a Peruvian province located in the La Libertad Region. It is one of the twelve provinces that make up that region.-Boundaries:*North Amazonas Region*East San Martín Region*South Pataz Province...
(BolívarBolívar, PeruBolívar is a town in the northern pacific coastal region of Peru, capital of the Bolívar District and Bolívar Province.-References:...
) - ChepénChepén ProvinceChepén Province is one of the twelve provinces that make up the La Libertad Region of Peru. It is bordered on the north by the Lambayeque Region, on the east by the Cajamarca Region, on the south by Pacasmayo Province, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean...
(Chepén) - Gran ChimúGran Chimú ProvinceThe Gran Chímu Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Cascas.-Political division:The province is divided into four districts, which are:* Cascas* Marmot* Lucma* Sayapullo...
(CascasCascasCascas is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province of Gran Chimú in the La Libertad region.Cascas is an idealic little city of 5000 people located in the mountains of the state of La Libertad Peru. Located only 2 hours drive from The capital city of Trujillo, it is an easy bus trip with a...
) - JulcánJulcán ProvinceThe Julcán Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Julcán.-Political division:The province is divided into four districts, which are:* Julcán* Calamarca* Carabamba* Huaso...
(JulcánJulcánJulcán is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Julcán in the region La Libertad.-References:...
) - OtuzcoOtuzco ProvinceThe Otuzco Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Otuzco.-Political division:The province is divided into ten districts, which are:* Otuzco* Agallpampa* Charat* Huaranchal...
(OtuzcoOtuzcoThe Otuzco is a city located in the highlands of La Libertad, Peru. It is the capital of the Otuzco Province, and it is well known because there is the sanctuary of the Gate Virgin...
) - PacasmayoPacasmayo ProvinceThe Pacasmayo Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru; also Pacasmayo is the name of one of its districts. The capital of this province is the city of San Pedro de Lloc.-Political division:...
(San Pedro de LlocSan Pedro de LlocSan Pedro de Lloc is a town in the La Libertad Region of northern Peru. It is located at approximately . It is the capital of the coastal Pacasmayo Province....
) - PatazPataz ProvinceThe Pataz Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Tayabamba.-Political division:The province is divided into thirteen districts, which are:* Buldibuyo* Chillia* Huancaspata...
(TayabambaTayabambaTayabamba is a city in Northern Peru, capital of the province Pataz in the region La Libertad.-History:In the colonial times, the Spanish created three Corregimientos in the territory of this Region: Collay in the south, Pataz in the middle, and Cajamarquina in the north...
) - Sánchez CarriónSánchez Carrión ProvinceThe Sánchez Carrión Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. It is named in honor of José Faustino Sánchez Carrión. The capital of this province is the city of Huamachuco.-Political division:...
(HuamachucoHuamachucoHuamachuco is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Sánchez Carrión in the region La Libertad. The city is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Huamachuco. Lake Sausacocha lies to the northeast.-Bank:Branch of Caja Trujillo....
) - Santiago de ChucoSantiago de Chuco ProvinceThe Santiago de Chuco Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Santiago de Chuco.-Political division:The province is divided into eight districts, which are:* Angasmarca* Cachicadán...
(Santiago de Chuco DistrictSantiago de Chuco DistrictSantiago de Chuco District is one of eight districts of the province Santiago de Chuco in Peru.-References:...
) - Trujillo (TrujilloTrujillo, PeruTrujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru...
) - VirúVirú ProvinceThe Virú Province is one of twelve provinces of the La Libertad Region in Peru. The capital of this province is the city of Virú.-Political division:The province is divided into three districts, which are:* Chao* Guadalupito* Virú-External links:...
(VirúVirúVirú is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Virú in the region La Libertad.-References:...
)
Archaeology
The coastal strip set the stage for the rise of many pre-Columbian cultures, such as the pre-Ceramic Huaca Prieta civilization, which is more than 5,000 years old & the Cupisnique, which is more than 3,000 years old. From 200 A.C., the first one to expand beyond its cradle was the MocheMoche
'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state...
or Mochica culture. It was basically an agriculture and/or a warrior culture, which built countless temples and palaces such as the Sol
Huaca del Sol
The Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick temple built by the Moche civilization on the coast of what is now Peru. The temple is one of several ruins found near the peak of Cerro Blanco, in the coastal desert near Trujillo, Peru...
(Sun), Luna (Moon), El Brujo & Cao Viejo, and other huacas. The Chimú culture emerged later and built its capital in Chan Chan
Chan Chan
The largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, Chan Chan is an archaeological site located in the Peruvian region of La Libertad, five km west of Trujillo. Chan Chan covers an area of approximately 20 km² and had a dense urban center of about 6km²...
, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, & huacas like Esmeralda & Arco Iris (Rainbow). At its zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
, Chan Chan was home to 60,000 inhabitants who stubbornly resisted the expansion of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
. These ancient cultures used irrigation canals and water reservoirs, which systems were increasingly better engineered and extensive over the years. The technological acumen of these sophisticated agricultural systems was carried into the Inca Empire, which surrounded the remnants of the prior cultures. The Spanish colonizers destroyed most of the agricultural works to more effectively establish political control and provide de facto slave labor from the displaced native agriculturalists.
The archaeological remains of Chan Chan, 6 km (3.7 mi) northeast of downtown Trujillo, are rather well-preserved despite being built out of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
(mud bricks), largely because 1) dearth of rainfall and consequent erosion, and 2) lack of significant re-use of its construction materials (adobes do not respond easily to removal and transport and are relatively cheap to make on-site in current methods of construction).
See also
- 1970 Ancash earthquake1970 Ancash earthquakeThe 1970 Ancash earthquake or Great Peruvian Earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred on May 31 of that year. Combined with a resultant landslide, it was the worst catastrophic natural disaster ever recorded in the history of Peru....