Apurímac Region
Encyclopedia
Apurímac is a region in southern-central 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....

. It is bordered on the east by the Cusco Region
Cusco Region
Cusco is a region in Peru. It is bordered by the Ucayali Region on the north; the Madre de Dios and Puno regions on the east; the Arequipa Region on the south; and the Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín regions on the west...

, on the west by the Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho is a region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit by terrorism during the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as the internal conflict in Peru.A referendum was held on...

, and on the south by the Arequipa
Arequipa Region
Arequipa is a region in southwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Ica, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Cusco regions on the north; the Puno Region on the east; the Moquegua Region on the south; and the Pacific Ocean on the west...

 and Ayacucho
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho is a region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit by terrorism during the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as the internal conflict in Peru.A referendum was held on...

 regions. The region's name originates from the Quechua language and means "where the gods speak" in reference to the many mountains of the region (gods in the andean religion) that seems to be talking each other.

Political division


Image:Provinces_of_the_Apurímac_region_in_Peru.png|thumb|left|Map of the Apurímac region showing its provinces
poly 33 93 26 87 22 79 15 77 15 73 13 64 11 57 7 50 7 41 8 37 7 31 11 25 12 16 11 11 13 6 18 1 22 1 28 17 39 22 51 29 62 38 71 45 64 56 69 68 69 72 67 73 62 66 59 70 58 74 52 73 48 73 44 76 45 78 45 86 41 92 33 93 Chincheros Province
Chincheros Province
Chincheros Province is the smallest of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chincheros.-Boundaries:*North: Ayacucho Region*East: Andahuaylas Province*South: Andahuaylas Province*West: Ayacucho Region...


poly 116 45 122 42 129 47 142 42 147 45 152 39 161 37 169 42 178 46 185 52 198 61 206 68 234 79 239 87 231 107 224 102 214 104 214 99 199 105 205 111 199 120 185 130 189 134 178 137 175 144 175 148 171 158 162 165 158 170 153 165 145 163 137 159 137 144 137 136 136 125 131 119 125 115 117 104 130 96 134 92 138 92 153 84 148 77 144 71 137 63 130 59 124 55 118 49 113 44 Abancay Province
Abancay Province
The Abancay Province is one of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Abancay.-Boundaries:*North: Cusco Region*East: Cotabambas Province, Grau Province...


poly 202 111 198 105 210 98 212 102 223 103 230 109 228 121 231 132 232 142 234 149 236 153 238 157 243 159 246 162 250 167 248 173 242 180 237 179 231 176 226 180 219 181 214 184 209 187 208 187 210 183 205 188 203 192 200 196 197 201 194 203 188 194 184 187 174 190 166 190 160 180 160 170 167 159 172 151 172 142 181 136 187 132 194 121 202 112 198 105 Grau Province
Grau Province
Grau Province is one of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chuquibambilla.-Boundaries:*North: Abancay Province*East: Cotabambas Province*South: Antabamba Province*West: Abancay Province...


poly 239 88 252 96 259 92 267 96 266 99 275 103 293 136 293 153 293 165 289 174 286 187 278 190 270 200 264 208 255 217 242 217 248 220 241 209 239 194 228 181 243 178 252 170 247 163 239 157 233 143 229 115 Cotabambas Province
Cotabambas Province
The Cotabambas Province is a province located in the Apurímac Region of Peru.-Boundaries:*North: Cusco Region*East: Cusco Region*South: Cusco Region*West: Abancay Province, Grau Province, Antabamba Province.-Political division:...


poly 116 105 126 116 135 123 136 134 137 147 137 159 129 164 128 170 132 180 125 189 129 196 134 210 143 217 138 222 138 228 133 240 135 246 131 249 130 249 122 254 113 254 97 262 93 260 82 253 73 265 66 275 56 274 49 263 57 240 54 235 61 232 63 218 69 204 79 193 82 193 80 182 77 168 76 159 83 151 81 145 84 135 89 127 95 121 101 112 107 110 113 106 Aymaraes Province
Aymaraes Province
Aymaraes Province is the largest of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chalhuanca. The province was founded by General Simón Bolívar on June 21, 1824.-Boundaries:...


poly 137 161 150 165 154 165 158 176 161 187 166 191 173 191 182 189 191 204 198 205 206 188 212 186 224 181 232 187 238 195 246 197 244 201 242 206 243 214 244 219 240 225 233 227 223 232 224 244 225 257 213 261 210 263 205 257 197 259 191 258 188 253 185 254 179 253 175 258 169 268 163 260 156 255 152 258 146 247 142 248 136 246 138 230 137 225 144 218 136 213 131 197 126 193 132 183 128 170 131 162 Antabamba Province
Antabamba Province
Antabamba Province is one of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Antabamba.-Boundaries:*North: Grau Province*East: Cotabambas Province, Cusco Region*South: Arequipa Region*West: Aymaraes Province...


poly 21 100 34 93 38 94 43 91 42 83 43 73 48 70 58 69 64 69 65 74 71 70 66 58 70 46 85 45 91 49 103 53 111 44 118 48 122 54 133 61 140 68 151 80 143 90 136 91 122 98 116 103 109 109 104 108 96 115 97 120 90 121 85 126 85 133 83 141 82 143 83 151 74 157 76 169 82 189 73 197 65 207 64 221 59 230 58 226 47 218 45 211 52 198 57 187 56 177 48 162 41 149 41 138 33 123 24 105 22 99 Andahuaylas Province
Andahuaylas Province
Andahuaylas Province is the second largest of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Andahuaylas...


desc none


The region is divided into 7 province
Province
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, singular: provincia), which are composed 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, singular: distrito). The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
  • Abancay
    Abancay Province
    The Abancay Province is one of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Abancay.-Boundaries:*North: Cusco Region*East: Cotabambas Province, Grau Province...

     (Abancay
    Abancay
    Abancay is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the most important city in the Apurímac Region, and is the capital of the Abancay Province.-Location:...

    )
  • Andahuaylas
    Andahuaylas Province
    Andahuaylas Province is the second largest of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Andahuaylas...

     (Andahuaylas
    Andahuaylas
    Andahuaylas is a Peruvian city, capital of the Andahuaylas Province. It is known as the pradera de los celajes, the prairie of colored clouds. It's approximate population of 34,000 inhabitants makes it the second largest city in the region after the region's capital Abancay.-Location:Andahuyalas is...

    )
  • Antabamba
    Antabamba Province
    Antabamba Province is one of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Antabamba.-Boundaries:*North: Grau Province*East: Cotabambas Province, Cusco Region*South: Arequipa Region*West: Aymaraes Province...

     (Antabamba
    Antabamba
    Antabamba is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province with the same name in the region Apurímac. Place of birth of the renamed essayist Juan Espinoza Medrano "El Lunarejo" who in the sixtienth century, the so called "Spanish Golden Era" wrote, since a remote place of the empire, the best...

    )
  • Aymaraes
    Aymaraes Province
    Aymaraes Province is the largest of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chalhuanca. The province was founded by General Simón Bolívar on June 21, 1824.-Boundaries:...

     (Chalhuanca
    Chalhuanca
    Chalhuanca is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province Aymaraes in the region Apurímac. It is famous for be one of the best places in Peru for practicing canoeing and all river-related adventure sports. Chalhuanca has a resort-placed named Wilcahuacho which is famous for his volcanic waters....

    )
  • Chincheros
    Chincheros Province
    Chincheros Province is the smallest of seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chincheros.-Boundaries:*North: Ayacucho Region*East: Andahuaylas Province*South: Andahuaylas Province*West: Ayacucho Region...

     (Chincheros
    Chincheros
    Chincheros is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province with the same name in the region Apurímac.It is located on an Andean plain at an elevation of 3762 m and 30 km from Cuzco.-References:...

    )
  • Cotabambas Province
    Cotabambas Province
    The Cotabambas Province is a province located in the Apurímac Region of Peru.-Boundaries:*North: Cusco Region*East: Cusco Region*South: Cusco Region*West: Abancay Province, Grau Province, Antabamba Province.-Political division:...

     (Tambobamba
    Tambobamba
    Tambobamba is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province Cotabambas in the region Apurímac....

    )
  • Grau
    Grau Province
    Grau Province is one of the seven provinces of the Apurímac Region in Peru. The capital of the province is the city of Chuquibambilla.-Boundaries:*North: Abancay Province*East: Cotabambas Province*South: Antabamba Province*West: Abancay Province...

     (Chuquibambilla
    Chuquibambilla
    Chuquibambilla is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province Grau in the region Apurímac. The city is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Chuquibambilla....

    )

History

Little is known about the region's origins, however chroniclers state the fact that the first settlers were formed by tribes of several regions that originated, among them the Quechua Aymarays. The Chancas, originally from Choclococha, Huancavelica, settled in the region of Andahuaylas. This group of tribes is known in history as rebellious and fearless warriors of ancient Peru.

Chronicles relate that the Chancas prepared themselves for years to conquer the imperial city of Cusco, but only on account of the great figure and strategy of Inca Pachacutec, 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...

 did not yield.

By the time the conquerors established the first political organization of the Colony, almost the whole extension of the current region was under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Huamanga; nevertheless, there is no recollection on the foundation of cities and towns.

At the beginning of the Republic, Abancay belonged to Cusco. It was not until April 28, 1873 that a law was given to create the department of Apurímac, based on the provinces of Andahuaylas (Ayacucho), Antabamba, Aymaraes and Cotabambas (Cusco), and naming Abancay as its capital.

Attractions

Besides Abancay
Abancay
Abancay is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the most important city in the Apurímac Region, and is the capital of the Abancay Province.-Location:...

, the capital and most important economic and political centre, another tourist attraction in the region is Andahuaylas
Andahuaylas
Andahuaylas is a Peruvian city, capital of the Andahuaylas Province. It is known as the pradera de los celajes, the prairie of colored clouds. It's approximate population of 34,000 inhabitants makes it the second largest city in the region after the region's capital Abancay.-Location:Andahuyalas is...

, a rather cold city, located at 2980 meters above sea level (9,800 ft) and the region's agricultural centre. Its main church is the Cathedral de San Pedro, built in Colonial style architecture. A one-piece stone fountain stands out in the Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas is the name for the main square in many Latin American cities. In Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo, and in Central America as Parque Central...

. Close to Abancay in the way to Cusco is the famed Saywite Stone
Sayhuite
Sayhuite is an archaeological site 47km east of the city Abancay in the province Abancay in the region Apurímac in Peru. The site is regarded as a center of religious worship focusing on water. An important feature on the site is the Sayhuite monolith, a rock with more than 200 geometric and...

.

Located 4 km from Andahuaylas, Talavera de la Reyna is another place worth visiting. The main square or Plaza de Armas is remarkable, built in stone with an impressive tower with a clock. Nearby, the thermal baths of Hualalache may be visited.
Chalhuanca
Chalhuanca
Chalhuanca is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province Aymaraes in the region Apurímac. It is famous for be one of the best places in Peru for practicing canoeing and all river-related adventure sports. Chalhuanca has a resort-placed named Wilcahuacho which is famous for his volcanic waters....

, the capital of the province of Aymaraes, located at 2,800 m (2,100 ft), preserves beautiful churches built during Colonial times, containing fine wood carvings and gold leaf. A detailed account of Apurimac's architecture can be found in the works of Peruvian Writer and architect Armando Arteaga.

In Antabamba
Antabamba
Antabamba is a town in southern Peru, capital of the province with the same name in the region Apurímac. Place of birth of the renamed essayist Juan Espinoza Medrano "El Lunarejo" who in the sixtienth century, the so called "Spanish Golden Era" wrote, since a remote place of the empire, the best...

, trepanation
Trepanation
Trepanning, also known as trephination, trephining or making a burr hole, is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull, exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created...

s so accurately performed that astonish medicine have been found there. Also, mud sculptures, weapons, domestic utensils, and hunting implements.

Considered one of the largest and most beautiful lagoons of Peru, Laguna de Pacucha is located at 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in the route between Andahuaylas and Abancay
Abancay
Abancay is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the most important city in the Apurímac Region, and is the capital of the Abancay Province.-Location:...

. It is an ideal place to rest and enjoy nature. Also, fish and duck hunting are allowed.

Typical dishes and beverages

One of the typical dishes is the watya, that goes back to ancient times. It consists in building a fire surrounded by stones, on the center of which potatoes are placed until done. The ancient settlers used to prepare it during sowing and harvesting.

Also, very well known in Apurímac is a dish of potatoes and eggs with uchullaqwa (sauce made with chili, cottage cheese and wakatay, a very strong tasting Peruvian herb.) Among the variety of breads, we find rejillas, tarapacos, paltos and roscas.

Festivities

January 1 through 6. New Year's celebrations in Andahuaylas. During those days the Baja de Negros (dancers disguised as black men) takes place. There is entertainment of all sorts, specially religious folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

.

February. Carnivals. The whole town fills the streets to participate in La Yunsa. It is the only opportunity in which Apurímac shows all its folklore, with disguised groups dancing through all the quarters. In Andahuaylas, women and men dance in groups all day and night. In Grau, bullfights are organised, and the day before, the torril velacuy or velada de toros takes place to drive away evil spirits and avoid any harm to the toreros. In Aymaraes, a sling
Sling (weapon)
A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as the shepherd's sling....

 tournament between several districts takes place, a kind of duel, leaving several participants wounded.

May 13. Fiesta de la Virgen de Fátima. Great demonstration of folklore, specially music and dance. Numerous musical groups arrive to Grau to show their arts.

June 24. Farm Products and Livestock Fair in Pachaconas (Antabamba), where the best products of the region are exhibited. A mayordomo, called Carguyoc, is in charge of entertaining the guests.

July 28. Yawar Fiesta in Andahuaylas. A special bullfight in which a condor is tied to the back of the bull. In its efforts to release itself from the back of the bull, the condor wounds the bull. The bull is then killed by the condor, or by the villagers. The condor is released after the fiesta. Also, cockfights and the traditional ride to the Pacucha Lagoon, for good trout fishing.

August 15. Fiesta de la Virgen de la Asunción. The people of Grau crowd the streets to take part in processions and prayers. Simultaneously, the tinca or branding of the cattle takes place. In Cotabambas, the festivity is celebrated with the Yawar Fiesta.

September 24. Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The whole town of Antabamba is invited to dance, drink, eat or to the bullfights and horse racing.

October 7. Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario. Everyone in Abancay takes part. There are processions and fireworks. The alferado or mayordomo is responsible for the expenses of the feast.

November 3. The anniversary of the city of Abancay. Celebrated with several sports, folklore and social activities. Also, cockfights and bullfights.

December 8. Fiesta de la Virgen de la Concepción. In Cotabambas, dancing goes on in the main square during three or four nights, before and after the celebrations.

December 25. During Christmas Eve and Christmas, the people of Cotabambas go out to dance in the streets together with disguised dancers. Large crowds salute the Holy Child in adoration with songs and prayers. There are also processions, fireworks and banquets with typical food.

Significant artists, musicians, and writers

  • Juan Espinoza Medrano, born in Calcauso, Antabamba. An important baroque writer and priest.
  • Jose Maria Arguedas
    José María Arguedas
    José María Arguedas Altamirano was a Peruvian novelist, poet, and anthropologist who wrote mainly in Spanish, although some of his poetry is in Quechua...

    , born in Andahuaylas, poet, novelist and anthropologist. Author of Los Rios Profundos, Todas las Sangres
  • Los Zorros de Arriba y los Zorros de Abajo, Quechua poets.
  • Fredy Amilcar Roncalla, poet, essayist, jewelry maker. Born in Chualhuanca, Apurimac 3/25/53

See also

  • Ampay National Sanctuary
    Ampay National Sanctuary
    Ampay National Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located at the base of Mount Ampay, north of the city of Abancay, Peru. Created in 1987, it is located in the department of Apurimac...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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