Piura Region
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| See other Peruvian regions | ||
| President | César Trelles Lara | |
| Capital | Piura | |
| Area | 35,892.49 km² | |
| Population - Total - Density |
1 636 047 (2002 estimate) 45.6/km² |
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| Subdivisions | 8 provinces and 64 districts | |
| Elevation - Lowest - Highest |
-34 m (Bayóvar depression) 2709 m (Ayabaca) |
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| Latitude Longitude |
4º04'50" to 6º22'12" S 79º12'30" to 81º19'36" W |
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| Main resources | Petroleum, rice, cotton, lemon | |
| Poverty rate | 63.3% | |
| Percentage of country's GDP | 3.94% | |
| Dialing code | 073 | |
| ISO 3166-2 | PE-PIU | |
| Official website: www.regionpiura.gob.pe | ||
Piura is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. "Piura" is derived from the Quechua word pirhua, whose approximate meaning is "supply base", as the area was used by the Incas as a stop to get provisions during their conquest of the area's original inhabitants. Known for its warm tropical and dry or semi-tropical beaches, exquisite food and hospitable people; the region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru.
As part of the ongoing decentralization process in Peru, a referendum will be held on October 30, 2005 to decide whether the region will merge with the current regions of Lambayeque and Tumbes to create the new Northern Region (Spanish: Región Norte).
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[edit] Geography
The Piura Region is bordered by the Tumbes Region to the north, southern Ecuador,Lambayeque Region on the south, the Cajamarca Region on the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The territory of the Piura Region has many climate variations due to its geographical location.
It is just of 4 degrees south the equator yet receives both ocean currents at the same time: the cold Humboldt Current (13-20 °C) and the warm El Niño Current (20-27 °C). This makes the Piura Region a confusing land both tropical and arid at the same time. Many call still call Piura:
The Land Where Tropic Meets The Desert
[edit] The Land Where Tropic Meets The Desert
The coast is divided by the Peruvian subtropical desert of Sechura on the south and bushy like savanna tropical-dry forests to the center and north of the region. There are also small tropical valleys where rice and coconut fields are common, especially around the Piura and Sullana rivers.
There is a high Amazon climate (selva alta) as one goes away from the coast on to the sierra, Paramo climates and cooler temperatures appear as one climbs the sierra.
Topography is smooth in the coast and rough in the Sierra. There are many desertic plains in the southern region. The Sechura Desert, located south of the Piura River, is Peru's largest desert and one of the worlds examples of how a tropical desert looks and boundaries a tropical terrain to the north. The Bayóvar depression, which is the lowest point in the country, is located in this desert.
The morphological forms most common in the coast are the dry ravine that suddenly become copious when there are heavy rains, forming tropical dry forests all over. Other features are half-moon shaped dunes, the marine terraces such as those of Máncora, Talara and Lobitos. Valleys formed by fluvial terraces from the Chira River and Piura Rivers.
To the east, valleys are more or less deep and have been eroded by fluvial waters forming equatorial tropical-dry-forests. The major peak surpasses 3000 m. The Paso de Porculla, to the southwest of the territory is only 2,138 meters high and is the lowest of the Peruvian Andes.
The rivers crossing its territory belong to the Pacific watershed and to the Amazon Basin. The Chira River is the most important and flows its waters into the Pacific Ocean. The Piura River, whose banks hold the city of the same name, only flows its waters into the sea during summer, which is the rainy season.
[edit] Climate
The climate semi tropical and tropical savanna in the center and north coast, semi desertic in the southern coast near Lambayeque Region. Piura filles with tropical valleys, dry equatorial forests also has a high amazon climate as you reach between 1000-1500 meters over sea level, a subtropical sierra climate if you reach over the 2,000 meters over sea level and Paramo climate is found in the higher regions of the Sierra.
Piura has a tropical-dry or tropical savanna climate monsoon weather that averages 25 °C throughout the whole year. Pleasant warm winters (May to October) that average between 25°C and 28°C during the daytime and lows around 15 °C during the night.
The rain is scarce from May to Novembre, it rains only from December to April at discontinuous rates due to the influence of the Niño Current, but every so often El Niño phenomenon arrives, the rain is copious and makes the dry ravines become alive, giving rise not only to the impressive forests but to many floods and great morphological movements.
El Niño occurs when ocean waters reach 28 °C. When ocean water temperatures elevate 1 or 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than 27 °C, the consequence could be catastrophical rains.
Although ocean waters can drop to 19 °C during the dry winter months (May to October), they can also rise to 27 °C during the humid summer months (December to April); this calls for pleasant rains; yet if temperatures rise 1 or 1.5 °C degrees above that, El Niño is assured.
During summer (Dec to April) temperatures can reach over the 40 °C inland. During night time high 20s or even 30s may seem unpleasant, which urgently call us to go to beach resorts such as Mancora or Colan as smart options.
The rest of the months have pleasant summer temperatures in the low 30s and mid 20s °C.
[edit] Natural resources and wildlife
Piura is the land of a variety of unique carob trees and the region with most equatorial tropical-dry forests in the whole Pacific.
These ecoregions carry a unique variety of orchids, birds, reptiles, plants and mammals. Piura is known for the best and oldest lime-lemons in South America as well as South America's finest mango (tropical dry). With Lambayeque , it is the original home of the cotton variety pima. Piura also produces bananas, coconuts, rice and other fruits as local income.
Its development has been favoured also by the petroleum found in the ocean of Talara Province, fishing is blessed by two ocean currents, silver mines are common and the current Bayovar Deposits are present as well.
[edit] Facts about Piura
1- 1532: Piura was the first official Spanish settlement in South America
2- Piura is a land situated netween "deserts" and the "tropics"
3- Piura is the land of "Miguel Grau" one of Perú's national heroes
4- Piura is the land of The "Tondero" and "Cumananas"
5- Piura is the land of the "Seco de Chavelo", the official dish
6- Piura is the Southernmost Region of the Pacific to hold mangroves, the "Manglares de Vice" in the Sechura Province
7- "Punta Pariñas" in Piura is South America's extreme westernmost point
8- "Cabo Blanco" a Beach in Talara Province, inspired Ernest Hemingway to write The Old Man and The Sea
9- "The Largest Black Marlin" was captured in Cabo Blanco Beach
10- "Sechura's Coast" is the location where the warm El Niño Current meets the cold Humboldt Current
[edit] History
The most important culture that developed in the Piura region was Vicus, which stood out for its ceramics and delicate work in gold. The Tallanes or Yungas, however, were the first settlers, who migrated from the Sierra. During a period that is still vague, they lived in Behetrias, which were primitive settlements without a head or an organization.
Later on, they were conquered by the Mochicas, and centuries later, by the Incas during the rule of Tupac Inca Yupanqui.
In 1532, Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in South America, on the banks of the Chira River in the Tangarará Valley. He named it San Miguel de Piura.
The founding date is still subject of controversy. However, during the 450th anniversary celebrations, July 15 was adopted as the official date.
In 1534, due to a lack of sanitary conditions, the capital was moved to Monte de los Padres (Morropón); in 1578, and for the same reason, it was moved again, this time to San Francisco de la Buena Esperanza (Paita). In 1588, the permanent attacks of the English pirates and corsairs forced a final relocation of the capital to Piura.
During Colonial times, life went by peacefully. Yet, the raids against the Spanish authorities led by Admirals Borran and Cochrane, members of the libertarian expedition of José de San Martín, woke the longing for liberty in the minds of the local people.
[edit] Culture and Costumes of Piura
Piura is host to a stunning mestizo culture since all races are found and even more mixed. Being the oldest and first Spanish city in South America, Piura is blessed with proud costumbes and culture. Gastronomical dishes like the Piuran Secho de Chavelo (the capital's dish), Algarrobina cocktail drinks, many types of cebiches and other marine foods like Majarisco and Pasao al Agua. Piura is famed for its Natilla Sweets as well.
Processions and religious folk is passionately practiced by locals. One of them is Cristo de Ayabaca.
Popular crafts are the Chulucana Pottery and handy hats and silversmith arts made from the Catacaos Province.
The Tondero and Cumanana are the traditional music of the Piura Region, piuranos are definitely proud of this fact and should be. The maximum exponents of these passionete rhythms are typical cowboys popularly called piajenos. Apparently they point to have a Roma, or Gypsy, origin.
These northern cowboys that can still today be seen wandering the deserts of Sechura, Catacaos and the forests of Morropon transporting their goods using donkeys and mules. They seem to resemble physically the "American Southwest" cowboys, or Argentinan gauchos and Mexican charros. They are not only for their abilities to sing and play Cumanana and Tondero; but as silversmiths that work the beautiful filgree earrings, leathers, hats, wooden and silver utensiles of Catacaos region.
Another great tradition that is sang by all northern Peruviansis the famous Peruvian waltz, well practiced by traditional musicians (northern Peruvians have their style).
Chicha Music now called Tecnocumbia (originally a Peruvian styled cumbia), is the modern version of popular music all over, as well as Salsa among youngsters.
Local Piuranos have a different accent from their neighbours at both sides since: they tend elongate their syllables in a similar ways to northern Mexicans. Piuranos have their own proud slang. Locales for example, call themselves "Churres" (popular term used for a young Piuran or northern person).
Piuranos are characterized by their witty minds, melancolic Tondero music and welcoming personalities. Their personality is never abascent to joke or kid even with newcomers. Like all Peruvians, they are heavy drinkers of chicha de jora, pisco or bear and all of them have a tendency towards creativity and art as their source of income; yet the warm climate of this region forbids hard labour from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., so it is common tradition to take siestas during this eposide and better off wake up early to get important stuff done before noon.
[edit] Political division
The region is divided into 8 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular: provincia), which are composed of 64 districts (distritos, singular: distrito). The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
- Ayabaca (Ayabaca)
- Huancabamba (Huancabamba)
- Morropón (Chulucanas)
- Paita (Paita)
- Piura (Piura)
- Sechura (Sechura)
- Sullana (Sullana)
- Talara (Talara)
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Provinces of the Piura Region | |
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Ayabaca | Huancabamba | Morropón | Paita | Piura | Sechura | Sullana | Talara |
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[edit] External links
- Portal Oficial del Gobierno Regional Piura - Piura Regional Government official website
- Diario El Regional de Piura - Regional newspaper
| Political division of Peru |  |
|---|---|
|
Amazonas | Ancash | Apurímac | Arequipa | Ayacucho | Cajamarca | Callao | Cusco | Huancavelica | Huánuco | Ica | Junín | La Libertad | Lambayeque | Lima | Loreto | Madre de Dios | Moquegua | Pasco | Piura | Puno | San Martín | Tacna | Tumbes | Ucayali |
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| The Lima Province is not part of any of the twenty-five regions. |
