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Ica (city)
Encyclopedia
The city of Ica is the capital of the Ica Region
in southern Peru
. While the area was long inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, the Spanish
conquistador
Gerónimo Luis de Cabrera claimed its founding in 1563. As of 2005, it had an estimated population of over 219,856. The city suffered extensive damage and loss of life during the 2007 Peru earthquake
.
, along the desert coast of southern Peru. Further south along the Pan-American Highway
lies the city of Nazca
.
, which inhabited the Atacama Desert
about 30 million years ago. Scientists estimate it was about 4.5 or five feet tall, with a foot-long beak.
Evidence of prehistoric indigenous
civilizations has been found in the nearby deserts, such as that of Paracas
. These included the xx, Paracas, and Inca, the last of whom were a people who encountered the Spanish. Numerous pre-Columbian archeological artifacts are displayed in the Museo Regional de Ica.
The Spanish colonial city was founded in June 17, 1563 by Gerónimo Luis de Cabrera as Villa de Valverde. It was ruled by Spain under colonial rulers until Peru achieved independence.
The many days of sunshine have made Ica the center of an important agricultural region. Commodity crops are cotton
, grapes, asparagus
, olives and other produce. It is known by Peruvians as the "Land of the Sun". Although there are the four seasons, the warm dry climate makes it feels like summer year-round. The climate of the city can help in easing asthma
, which is aggravated by damp and humid climates and their associated allergens.
On 15 August 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake
occurred off the coast of Peru, severely damaging buildings, houses and infrastructure in Ica. Initially 17 people died and 70 were killed when a church collapsed. Pisco
was even more severely damaged than Ica, with many people buried under buildings which had fallen; 80% of the city's buildings were destroyed.
by the Pan-American Highway
. The distance is almost exactly 200 miles or 300 km. The trip takes about 4.5 hours by bus and 4 hours on motorcycle.
Ica and surrounding areas are the traditional source of Pisco
brandy. Ica is the site of the Museo Regional de Ica, a regional museum with exhibits ranging from prehistoric artifacts to the Spanish colonial era. On display are pre-Columbian
funerary bundles and mummies, whose elongated skulls from the Paracas
and pre-Inca cultures suggest ritual deformation, perhaps a mark of the elite. Some skulls also bear evidence of trepanning, a kind of early brain surgery to relieve internal pressure or remove damaged skull matter suffered in battle. There are also furniture, paintings and artifacts from the Spanish colonial
era.
Ica's location in the desert provides unique opportunities for tourism, such as the nearby Huacachina
oasis, located in the midst of sand dunes. It attracts international travelers, as well as resort seekers from Peru. Some young visitors try sandboarding; others travel the dunes in sand buggies.
Ica Region
Ica is a region in Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; the Lima Region on the north; the Huancavelica and Ayacucho regions on the east; and the Arequipa Region on the south. Its capital is the city of Ica.- Geography :...
in southern 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....
. While the area was long inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Gerónimo Luis de Cabrera claimed its founding in 1563. As of 2005, it had an estimated population of over 219,856. The city suffered extensive damage and loss of life during the 2007 Peru earthquake
2007 Peru earthquake
The 2007 Peru earthquake was an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale that hit the central coast of Peru on Wednesday, August 15, 2007; it occurred at 23:40:57 UTC and lasted for about three minutes...
.
Location
The city is located on the Ica River about 300 km to the south of LimaLima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, along the desert coast of southern Peru. Further south along the Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
lies the city of Nazca
Nazca
Nazca is a system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru, and the name of the region's largest existing town in the Nazca Province. It is also the name applied to the Nazca culture that flourished in the area between 300 BC and AD 800...
.
History
In 2007, researchers found the fossil remains of a prehistoric penguin, Icadyptes salasiIcadyptes salasi
Icadyptes salasi was a giant penguin species from the late Eocene period, in the tropics of South America. "Ica" for the Peruvian region where it was found, "dyptes" from the Greek word for diver, and "salasi" for Rodolfo Salas, a noted Peruvian paleontologist.The fossilised remains of the penguin,...
, which inhabited the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
about 30 million years ago. Scientists estimate it was about 4.5 or five feet tall, with a foot-long beak.
Evidence of prehistoric indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
civilizations has been found in the nearby deserts, such as that of Paracas
Paracas
Paracas may refer to:* Paracas culture, an important Andean society that existed in Peru between approximately 750 BC and 100 AD* Paracas Peninsula, located in the Ica Region of Peru* Paracas Bay, located in the Pisco Province of the Ica Region in Peru...
. These included the xx, Paracas, and Inca, the last of whom were a people who encountered the Spanish. Numerous pre-Columbian archeological artifacts are displayed in the Museo Regional de Ica.
The Spanish colonial city was founded in June 17, 1563 by Gerónimo Luis de Cabrera as Villa de Valverde. It was ruled by Spain under colonial rulers until Peru achieved independence.
The many days of sunshine have made Ica the center of an important agricultural region. Commodity crops are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, grapes, asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
, olives and other produce. It is known by Peruvians as the "Land of the Sun". Although there are the four seasons, the warm dry climate makes it feels like summer year-round. The climate of the city can help in easing asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, which is aggravated by damp and humid climates and their associated allergens.
On 15 August 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake
2007 Peru earthquake
The 2007 Peru earthquake was an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale that hit the central coast of Peru on Wednesday, August 15, 2007; it occurred at 23:40:57 UTC and lasted for about three minutes...
occurred off the coast of Peru, severely damaging buildings, houses and infrastructure in Ica. Initially 17 people died and 70 were killed when a church collapsed. Pisco
Pisco
Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile and Peru. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain...
was even more severely damaged than Ica, with many people buried under buildings which had fallen; 80% of the city's buildings were destroyed.
Transportation
Ica can be reached from LimaLima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
by the Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
. The distance is almost exactly 200 miles or 300 km. The trip takes about 4.5 hours by bus and 4 hours on motorcycle.
Tourism
Pisco
Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile and Peru. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain...
brandy. Ica is the site of the Museo Regional de Ica, a regional museum with exhibits ranging from prehistoric artifacts to the Spanish colonial era. On display are pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
funerary bundles and mummies, whose elongated skulls from the Paracas
Paracas
Paracas may refer to:* Paracas culture, an important Andean society that existed in Peru between approximately 750 BC and 100 AD* Paracas Peninsula, located in the Ica Region of Peru* Paracas Bay, located in the Pisco Province of the Ica Region in Peru...
and pre-Inca cultures suggest ritual deformation, perhaps a mark of the elite. Some skulls also bear evidence of trepanning, a kind of early brain surgery to relieve internal pressure or remove damaged skull matter suffered in battle. There are also furniture, paintings and artifacts from the Spanish colonial
Colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony* Colonial history of the United States, the period of American history from the 17th century to 1776, under the rule of Great Britain, France and Spain...
era.
Ica's location in the desert provides unique opportunities for tourism, such as the nearby Huacachina
Huacachina
Huacachina is a village in the Ica Region, in southwestern Peru. It is located in the Ica Province, near the city of Ica in the Ica District. Huacachina has a population of 115 . The oasis features on the back of the 50 Nuevo Sol note....
oasis, located in the midst of sand dunes. It attracts international travelers, as well as resort seekers from Peru. Some young visitors try sandboarding; others travel the dunes in sand buggies.
External links
- Ica and the Huacachina Oasis, Trekker
- "History of Peru, Ica", TampoPampa
- Museo Regional de Ica Website