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50-583: The Cordillera Blanca lies in the Ancash region and runs parallel to the Santa River valley (also called Callejón de Huaylas in its upper and midsections) on the west. Huascarán National Park , established in 1975, encompasses almost the entire range of the Cordillera Blanca. Snowmelt from the Cordillera Blanca provides part of northern Peru with its year-round water supply, while 5% of Peru's power comes from

100-744: A hydro-electrical plant located in the Santa River valley. The area of permanent ice cover shrank by about a third between the 1970s and 2006. The Cordillera Blanca is the most extensive tropical ice-covered mountain range in the world and has the largest concentration of ice in Peru. It is part of the Cordillera Occidental (the westernmost part of the Peruvian Andes), and trends in a northwesterly direction for 200 km between 8°08' and 9°58'S of latitude and 77°00' and 77°52' W of longitude. It has five of

150-468: A major retreat of its glaciers during the 20th century due to global climate change . Studies have shown a retreat of over 15% since the 1970s. Based on analysis of satellite imagery, in 2003 there were 485 glaciers left, covering an area of 569.6 km. Among the most important lakes in the range are the Llanganuco Lakes , which are located on the northern side of Huascarán , and are accessible from

200-613: A real symphony of summits with different grades of difficulty in climbing. This mountain range was called White, not only for its eternal snow but also for the chemical constitution of its quartz and feldspar rocks. It has the highest summit in Peru and the fifth one in America after Aconcagua , Ojos del Salado , Bonete and Mercedario : Huascarán, whose south peak reaches 6768 msnm. Huascarán's north peak reaches 6655 m. Alpamayo whose height has been estimated in 5,947 m, has been considered as "the most beautiful snow mountain of

250-566: Is Chimbote . The name of the region originates from the Quechua word anqash ('light, of little weight'), from anqas ('blue') or from anka ('eagle'). Ancash is a land of contrasts: it features two great longitudinal valleys, which combine the mountain characteristics of the Callejón de Huaylas (Alley of Huaylas) with the sylvan ones of the Alto Marañón . Kilometres of sandy beaches and

300-530: Is a monotonous stretch of huge sand deserts, a common denominator in all Peruvian coastal regions because of the influence of the Humboldt Current . Along the rivers, there are green valleys, cultivated mainly with sugarcane , rice and cotton . From south to north, the main rivers of the Ancash coast are the following: Huarmey , Culebras , Casma , Sechín , Nepeña , Lacramarca and Santa. Of these rivers,

350-449: Is a species of small tree in the family Rosaceae . It is endemic to Peru , Bolivia , and Ecuador . It is threatened by habitat destruction . The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of this tree as " vulnerable ". Polylepis racemosa is endemic to high altitudes in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. It is very typical of the flora of

400-399: Is divided into 20 provinces ( provincias , singular: provincia ), which comprise 166 districts ( distritos , singular: distrito ). Its capital is Huaraz. The provinces and their capitals are: The economy of Ancash, the third largest in Peru, is largely made up of gold, copper and zinc mining. Its coast is rich in fishing resources and it is the most productive fishing region of Peru (Peru is

450-457: Is in conflict with the normalized alphabet of the language. According to Article 20 of Decreto Supremo No 004-2016-MC (Supreme Decree) which approves the Regulations to Law 29735, published in the state-owned newspaper El Peruano on 22 July 2016, adequate spellings of the toponyms in the normalised alphabets of the indigenous languages must progressively be proposed with the aim of standardizing

500-577: Is not a very highly travelled road. The highway begins with a paved path that arrives up to Yaután . Then it quickly begins to ascend through an unpaved path by the sides of the Cordillera Negra, following the course of the Casma River. This route becomes more steep once it arrives to Pariacoto . Along the road, there are not important towns at all, except for Pira that offers some traveler's services. Polylepis racemosa Polylepis racemosa

550-597: Is very uneven. It has snowy summits, which altitudes vary between 5000 and 6768 MSL . It also has gullies , that are deeply encased because of the fluvioglacial erosion , and a great number of lagoons . Inside the borders of the park, there are 663 glaciers that are distributed throughout 180 km, from the Tuku in the south up to the Champara in the north. Regarding its climate, there are two very well defined seasons: The dry season from April to September becoming worse between

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600-462: The Andean condor , the torrent duck , the puna tinamou , the brown pintail , the Andean crested duck , the white-tufted grebe , the giant coot , and the Andean gull . Among the mammals reported in the same area are the colocolo , the Andean mountain cat , the spectacled bear , the taruca deer , the vicuña , the white-tailed deer , the puma , the northern viscacha , the long-tailed weasel ,

650-528: The Guitarrero Cave (10,000 BC), the pre-Columbian ruins of Chavín de Huantar , Hunsakay, Willkawayin, Sechín, and Pañamarka are also well-known. There are a few tours in the Department of Ancash that will let us know the main touristic and historical places of the zone. Among the principal ones are: The historical village Pativilca ( Lima Region ), where Simón Bolívar planned his expedition for

700-818: The Pan-American Highway north from Lima , the territory of the department begins just beyond the Fortress of Paramonga , between wide fields of sugarcane , and across the Fortaleza River , 206 kilometres (128 mi) from Lima. Along the coast of Ancash, from the Fortaleza River to the Santa River, the Pacific exerts great influence. The Peruvian current and the El Niño current exert considerable and sometimes tragic effect on local lives and regional economies. Normally,

750-490: The hog-nosed skunk , and the Andean fox . Ancash Region Ancash ( Quechua : Anqash ; Spanish : Áncash pronounced [ˈaŋkaʃ] ) is a department and region in western Peru . It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz , and its largest city and port

800-562: The punas which narrows into the Cordillera Negra, where the Cañón del Pato canyon was formed. The snow-covered peak of Huascarán, the highest peak of Peru and second of the Americas, reaches a height of 6,768 m (22,205 ft; 4.205 mi) and contrasts with the 6,263 m (20,548 ft) deep trough of Chimbote found in the ocean west of Ancash. Remnants of glaciers created many lakes such as Llanganuco Lakes and Lake Parón . Following

850-793: The Chavín culture. During the Inca age, the population of the Santa valley was assimilated into the Inca empire by Pachacuti . The first Spaniards came to Huaylas attracted by the fame of the silver veins of the department. In time, the Spanish destroyed the Inca cities. It was during this time that Jerónimo de Alvarado founded the city of Huaraz. Though in the Colonial Age this city held little importance and its artistic and cultural life did not have much relevance, it became

900-410: The Cordillera Blanca is largely determined by the Cordillera Negra because this mountain range softens the winds that come from the Pacific Ocean. The Cordillera Negra, acting as a shield, avoids the thaw of the big glaciers from the Cordillera Blanca. The Cordillera Negra has rocky peaks with very little winter snowfall, reaching a maximum height of 5500 m. Its name comes from the comparison with

950-563: The Cordillera Blanca with a 400 m topographic prominence , and several other peaks over 5,500 m. Huascarán Sur, the highest, has two commonly quoted heights: 6,746 m from the Peruvian National Geographic Institute (IGN) map and 6,768 m from the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) survey map. Some of the highest peaks in the Cordillera Blanca are listed below. Among the most important hot springs in

1000-455: The Peruvian current, also known as the Humboldt Current , brings cold water and large numbers of fish. With the development of the shoals of anchoveta , the Ancash ports and creeks became commercial fishing centers. During the 1950s, the bay of Chimbote was the top fishing port of the world. However, when warmer waters from the north, such as the current of El Niño, bring catastrophic rains to

1050-423: The area are Monterrey and Chancos, which have been transformed into thermal bath facilities. They are 7 and 27 km respectively from the regional capital, Huaraz . The dry season extends from May through September, June and July having the least rain and more stable weather. The data on the chart correspond to the village of Musho (elevation: 3084 m), located at the foot of Huascarán. Flora and fauna in

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1100-550: The blue waters of the Pacific. The territory of the coast, high plateaux and Andean punas of the department are flat, while the rest of the territory, in the Andes, is very rough. In the west, there are slopes with strong declivity form narrow canyons with abrupt and deserted sides. The rough territory of the department is crossed by two mountain ranges: on the western side, the Cordillera Negra ( Spanish for "black mountain range"), which has peaks without glaciers , and on

1150-462: The coast and sea, the shoals of anchoveta disappear, leaving the fishing fleets plants paralysed, and flooding rivers cause serious damage to the lands and cities. The cycles of these two sea currents that affect Peru are hard to predict. Further north along the Pan-American highway, numerous islands and islets dot the sea near the coast. Most are home only to guano seabirds . From south to north,

1200-464: The deadliest natural disasters in Peru. Today, most of the Ancash population is concentrated in the Callejón de Huaylas . Beginning in 2011, the department has been the site of an ongoing anti-mining protest over allegations of water contamination and public versus private rights to the natural resources of the zone. Clashes between protesters, mining company security, and the federal police have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. The department

1250-611: The eastern side, the Cordillera Blanca ("white mountain range"), which has many peaks covered with snow and ice, such as the Huascarán and the Alpamayo . Between these two mountain ranges, the Santa River flows through the so-called Callejón de Huaylas . This valley narrows to form the Cañón del Pato ("duck canyon"). Also along the Pacific slopes, the Santa River has shaped a wide valley in

1300-509: The genus. It is a promising candidate for reforestation and agroforestry. This region is cold in the winter but has a dry climate; the herbage consists of various grasses and herbaceous plants, the wild potatoes Solanum acaule and Solanum bukasovii , and the woody shrubs P. racemosa , Mutisia acuminata , Baccharis sp., and Cantua buxifolia , which is the national flower of Peru. In Ecuador it has been introduced from Peru, and this may be detrimental because it hybridises readily with

1350-526: The headquarters for Simón Bolívar during his campaign to liberate Peru. The department of Ancash was created following the defeat of the Peru-Bolivia Confederation by the combined forces of the Peruvian restoration army and the Chilean army at the battle of Yungay in 1839. The 1970 Ancash earthquake devastated the department, killing more than 50,000 people and damaging 186,000 houses in one of

1400-516: The history and culture it shares with other cultures along the Andean and Amazonian territories. As archaeologist Julio C. Tello put it, " Chavín was the mother of all the cultures that later bloomed in the old Peru. " The name Chavín comes from the Quechua word Chawpin , which translates as center or headquarters . Tello believed that people came from the Amazonas , scaled the Andes, and developed

1450-519: The liberation of Peru, lies 202 kilometres (126 mi) north of Lima on the Pan-American Highway. At this point begins the highway that leads to the Callejón de Huaylas. This road is completely paved, although it often had to be repaired because of the extreme damage caused by the huaycos (flash floods) and the rains. The same problem affects most Peruvian roads, especially the ones in

1500-466: The local and communal authorities on posters and other signage. The geographical centre of Ancash, the Callejón de Huaylas, is an area of intense interest to tourists. This is due to its large variety of natural attractions, its sport and recreational facilities, and the nearby archaeological remains of the ancient cultures that once flourished there. The Cordillera Blanca offers an interesting attraction for tourists visiting Peru. Visitors also come to see

1550-428: The local species of Polylepis , of which there are eight, including the endemic species Polylepis lanuginosa . The Polyepsis forest plays an important role in the ecosystem of the region, acting as a sponge to retain moisture. The Aymara people , the indigenous people of this region, call the tree "queñua" and use the timber for fuel, for roofing their huts and for making charcoal. Polylepis racemosa has

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1600-508: The months of June and August and the wet season from October to May whose highest rainfall is between January and March. Its flora is countless and beautiful, including important groups of Puya Raimondi . In its fauna, there are tarucas , spectacled bears , vicuñas , pumas , foxes , vizcachas , weasels , Andean mountain cats , opossums , hog-nosed skunks , etc. There is also a great number of birds, predominantly ducks , American coots and hummingbirds . The route Casma-Huaraz

1650-489: The most important islands include Tortuga Island (Turtle Island), La Viuda Island (The Widow Island), Isla Blanca (White Island) and Santa Island (Holy Island). The coastal region of Peru includes many peninsulas , creeks , warm bays and sand beaches, full of colour. Because of the lack of roads and difficult terrain, many of these are inaccessible by land. The most important beaches include Grande Beach , La Gramita Beach and Las Salinas Beach . Much of this coast

1700-654: The most spectacular peaks above 6,000 m in the Peruvian Andes; the highest peak, Huascarán , rises to an elevation of 6,768 m above sea level. The Cordillera Blanca also acts as a continental divide: the Santa River on the west drains into the Pacific Ocean, whereas the Marañón River on the east drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Until the 1990s a total of 722 individual glaciers were recognized in this mountain range, covering an area of 723.4 km. Most were on

1750-555: The mountains ( Quechua natural region and rainforest Rupa-Rupa natural region ). This highway is 287 kilometres (178 mi) long, with an extremely comfortable course, especially in the steep climbing stretches through the Cordillera Negra (Black Range) up to the summit of Conococha , 4,100 metres (13,451 ft) above sea level. From there, the road descends toward the Callejón de Huaylas. The trip Lima-Huaraz-Caraz of 468 kilometres (254 mi) takes seven hours by car. Modern buses spend eight hours over

1800-575: The namings used by the National Geographic Institute (Instituto Geográfico Nacional, IGN) . The National Geographic Institute realizes the necessary changes in the official maps of Peru. Contrarily to intentions to replace indigenous toponyms by other names like Santa Cruz or Contrahierbas , the Ministry of Culture proposes to the municipalities of the provinces to recover ancient indigenous toponyms and that these names should be spread by

1850-541: The natural beauty of the area's glaciers and valleys and to enjoy the many lakes and thermal fountains. Ancash is sometimes referred to as the "Switzerland of Peru". There is the four mile high Huascarán, home to the Huascarán National Park . There is also the Alpamayo peak, considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Among archaeological sites of interest, Ancash has many vestiges of old cultures, including

1900-449: The only one with water year-round is the Santa River. Its sources are the glaciers and lakes of the Cordillera Blanca. The other rivers, as with most rivers of the Peruvian coast, are intermittent, depending on the highland rains or the advance of El Niño. Between 400 and 600 BC, the first Peruvian civilization, known as Chavín , originated and flourished in this zone. The importance of this culture lies not only in its antiquity but in

1950-410: The population identifies Mestizo or Quechua . As of 2017, 85.3% (923,542) of the population is literate and 14.7% (158,839) of the population is illiterate. Many of the toponyms of the Department of Ancash originate from Quechua . In and around the Cordillera Blanca , in provinces like Huaylas and Yungay , these names are overwhelmingly predominant. Their Spanish-based orthography, however,

2000-451: The range have adapted to the climate and elevational range of mountainous areas. Almost all of the Cordillera Blanca is protected by Huascarán National Park . The main types of plant communities present in the area are the vegetation of inter-Andean valleys (xerophytic plants in the lower elevations and shrubs and grassland at the higher elevations) and high-altitude vegetation (Puna grasslands and patches of high Andean forest). Plants in

2050-783: The range have adapted to the intense solar radiation, low temperatures, and water availability. Most plant species have pubescent leaves, an adaptation that protects the plants from water loss due to the intense solar radiation and low nighttime temperatures of the mountain climate. Examples of typical vegetation of this area include Polylepis racemosa , Escallonia resinosa , Alnus acuminata , Senna birostris, Vallea stipularis , Lupinus spp ., Vaccinium floribundum , Puya raimondii , Calamagrostis vicunarum, Festuca dolichophylla , Jarava ichu , Azorella spp., and Ranunculus macropetalus . More than 120 bird species have been reported in Huascarán National Park. The most notable include

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2100-484: The same stretch. East of Pativilca, for about 20 kilometres (12 mi) the highway passes between wide fields planted with sugarcane in extensive fields, parallel to the Fortaleza River bed . At the town Huaricanga the road enters the department of Ancash. At this point, the highway begins a slow ascent of the first spurs of the Cordillera Negra. This stretch continues for about 50 kilometres (31 mi). The climb gets suddenly steeper beyond

2150-559: The town of Yungay ; the deep-turquoise Lake Parón (the biggest lake in the Cordillera Blanca), located just north of Huandoy , accessible from the town of Caraz ; Lakes Ichiccocha and Jatuncocha , which are near Artesonraju and Alpamayo and are accessible only by trekking or on horseback from Caraz . Some other notable lakes are Lake 69 , Lake Allicocha , Lake Auquiscocha , Lake Palcacocha , Lake Querococha , and Lake Conococha . There are several 6,000 m peaks in

2200-462: The towns Chasquitambo and Chaucayán , with many bends and serpentines . This mountain range is composed by gigantic summits covered with snow, which are among the most beautiful of the world. The White mountain range is considered the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It borders the Callejón de Huaylas to the east. It has a length of 180 km (110 mi). It has 35 peaks that are higher than 6,000 m and many other smaller ones,

2250-474: The western Andes in southern Peru where it grows at altitudes of up to 14,625 ft (4,500 m). South of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, it is restricted to the region around Araca . The region is known as the "Suni" meaning high and consists of long, narrow, steep-sided valleys and intervening undulating flatter areas. This species is fast growing, and is more ecological and adapts better than other species of

2300-427: The western side of the range, where 530 glaciers covered an area of 507.5 km, while on the eastern side 192 glaciers covered an area of 215.9 km. Most of the glaciers, 91% of the total, were classified as mountain glaciers (they are generally short and have extremely steep slopes); the rest were classified as valley glaciers, except for one ice cap. Like all Andean glaciers, the Cordillera Blanca has witnessed

2350-433: The white snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca. The Huascarán National Park is one of the most outstanding conservation parks in Peru, due to its landscapes that are full of peaks, lakes, canyons , torrents and waterfalls. Inside its borders, it can be observed the whole Cordillera Blanca and seven peaks of more than 6000 m height. They constitute one of the main international focuses for climbers and mountaineers. It

2400-509: The world". This statement was achieved by the distinguished Peruvian mountaineer César Morales Arnao who sent the photo of Alpamayo to the world contest of scenic beauty made in 1966 in Munich , Germany. Huandoy N reaches 6,395 m, Huantsán reaches 6410 m, Chopicalqui reaches 6354 m, Copa N reaches 6173 m, Artesonraju reaches 6025 m, Santa Cruz S reaches 6,259 m and Hualcán reaches 6,126 m. The beauty of

2450-468: The world's largest exporter of fish meal ). Crops cultivated in Ancash include potatoes, wheat and barley. According to the 2007 Peru Census , the language learnt first by most of the residents was Spanish (68.34%) followed by Quechua (31.36%). The Quechua variety spoken in Ancash is Ancash Quechua . The following table shows the results concerning the language learnt first in the Department of Ancash by province: Ethnicity in Ancash (2017) Most of

2500-422: Was stated as a National Park on July 1, 1975, with a surface of 340,000 ha and a length of 158 km (98 mi). This National Park includes parts of the following provinces: Recuay, Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay, Huaylas, Pomabamba, Mariscal Luzuriaga, Huari, Corongo, Sihuas and Bolognesi. This park has also been listed as a biosphere reservation and as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . The park territory

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