Puno | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Uru people next toLake titicaca | |
 Flag  Seal | |
.svg) Location of the Puno Region in Peru | |
| Coordinates:15°04′S70°07′W / 15.07°S 70.12°W /-15.07; -70.12 | |
| Country | Peru |
| Subdivisions | 13 provinces and 108 districts |
| Capital | Puno |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Richard Hancco (2023-present) |
| Area | |
• Total | 66,997 km2 (25,868 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,172,697 |
| • Density | 17.504/km2 (45.334/sq mi) |
| UBIGEO | 21 |
| Dialing code | 0+51 |
| ISO 3166 code | PE-PUN |
| Principal resources | Quinoa; it is also the nation's largest producer ofpotatoes,sheep,alpacas andllamas. |
| Poverty rate | 60.8% (INEI 2009) |
| Percentage of Peru'sGDP | 2.3% |
| Website | www.regionpuno.gob.pe |
Puno (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpuno]) is adepartment of Peru. Located in the country's southeast, it is the fifth largest department in Peru, afterCuzco,Madre de Dios,Ucayali, andLoreto. It is bordered byBolivia to the east, the departments ofMadre de Dios to the north,Cusco andArequipa to the west,Moquegua to the southwest, andTacna to the south. It is administered by aregional government. Its capital is the city ofPuno, which is located onLake Titicaca in the geographical region known as theAltiplano or high sierra.
Puno was the territory of theTiahuanacos (800 A.D. – 1200 A.D.), who were the highest cultural expression of the Aymara people who established themselves in what is today Peru and Bolivia. The Incas took over these lands in the fifteenth century, and the Spanish, attracted by the mining industry developed there, left an important Colonial legacy throughout the entire area.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The department of Puno is located in theCollao Plateau. The western part ofLake Titicaca, which is the world's highest navigable lake, is located in the department. TheAndean mountains make up 70% of the region's territory, and the rest is covered by theAmazon rainforest.
The lake contains numerous islands whose inhabitants continue to live as their ancestors have in custom and tradition. The Uros an example of this; this people group lives on "floating islands" that they have artificially made entirely of totora reeds, and they navigate in their traditional boats also made out of totora reeds. Taquile, Suasi, and Amantaní are known for their kindness of their residents, their ancestral skill in weaving, their pre-Columbian constructions, and lovely countryside. The Titicaca National Reserve (36,180 hectares) protects extensive stretches of totora reeds and various species of plants and animals.
The climate is cold and dry, with a four-month rain season. On the other hand, the climate of the rainforest is warm. The water resources are taken from the Lake Titicaca, 50 lagoons and more than 300 rivers. There is also an important potential in underground waters.
The region is divided into 13 provinces (provincias, singular:provincia), which are composed of 107 districts (distritos, singular:distrito). The provinces, with their capitals in parentheses, are:
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In ancient times, the Collao plateau was inhabited byAymara groups (Collas orQolla, Zapanas, Kallahuayos andLupacas). TheQuechuas came later.
According to chroniclerInca Garcilaso de la Vega, these ancient times coincide with the legend ofManco Cápac andMama Ocllo, who emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca to found theInca Empire.
TheAymara culture, also known as Putina, was the most important and influential pre-Hispanic culture in the region.
During the Viceroyship, Puno was the obliged route for travelers going toPotosí,Bolivia. In 1668, viceroyConde de Lemos established San Juan Bautista de Puno as the capital of the province of Paucarcolla. Later, it was called San Carlos de Puno, in honor of the ruling king,Charles II of Spain. The town was the capital of theIntendancy of Puno.
In 1870, the railway routeArequipa-Puno was installed and navigation in Lake Titicaca started.
In 2007, ameteorite landed in the region, triggering a widespread illness amongst the locals. The exact cause of the illness is unknown, but is speculated to be a result of arsenic or other toxic chemicals that may have been released by the heat of impact.
Indigenous people are the majority in the Puno region. As of 2011[update], 41.4% of Puno's inhabitants speakQuechua, 30.39% speakAymara; 0.05% speak Ashaninka; and 0.03% speak another indigenous language. Monolingual Spanish speakers make up 28.1% of the population.[1]
According to the2007 Peru Census, the language learnt first by most of the residents wasQuechua (38.01%) followed bySpanish (34.81%) andAymara (26.93%). The Quechua variety spoken in Puno isCusco–Collao Quechua. The following table shows the results concerning the language learnt first in the Puno Region by province:[2]
| Province | Quechua | Aymara | Asháninka | Another native language | Spanish | Foreign language | Deaf or mute | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azángaro | 104,456 | 364 | 12 | 136 | 23,759 | 6 | 172 | 128,905 |
| Carabaya | 57,703 | 426 | 6 | 23 | 10,385 | 14 | 39 | 68,596 |
| Chucuito | 673 | 86,305 | 170 | 33 | 31,964 | 8 | 127 | 119,280 |
| El Collao | 503 | 59,347 | 116 | 17 | 17,505 | 1 | 78 | 77,567 |
| Huancane | 20,400 | 35,249 | 32 | 11 | 10,392 | 5 | 93 | 66,182 |
| Lampa | 34,085 | 168 | 7 | 13 | 11,357 | 16 | 68 | 45,714 |
| Melgar | 49,655 | 163 | 4 | 13 | 20,479 | 13 | 65 | 70,392 |
| Moho | 146 | 22,592 | 41 | 3 | 3,624 | - | 41 | 26,447 |
| Puno | 60,261 | 57,716 | 119 | 37 | 98,875 | 625 | 166 | 217,799 |
| Putina | 28,537 | 4,439 | 15 | 24 | 14,328 | 1 | 39 | 47,383 |
| San Román | 67,746 | 19,399 | 48 | 60 | 139,850 | 40 | 176 | 227,319 |
| Sandia | 31,399 | 6,117 | 14 | 4 | 20,702 | 4 | 57 | 58,297 |
| Yunguyo | 252 | 30,691 | 57 | 18 | 14,177 | 10 | 32 | 45,237 |
| Total | 455,816 | 322,976 | 641 | 392 | 417,397 | 743 | 1,153 | 1,199,118 |
| % | 38.01 | 26.93 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 34.81 | 0.06 | 0.10 | 100.00 |
Tourism is currently expanding in the Puno Region, with several tour operators and hotels ranging from low budget hostels to high-end hotels.[citation needed]
Italics indicate provinces under a special regime. TheConstitutional Province of Callao does not belong to any region. |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
.svg)
