Cajamarca (Spanish pronunciation:[kaxaˈmaɾka];Quechua:Kashamarka;Aymara:Qajamarka) is adepartment of Peru. It is located to the north of the country and shares a border withEcuador. It is administered by aregional government. The capital is the city ofCajamarca, which has an elevation of 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) above sea level in theAndes Mountain Range, the longest mountain range in the world. Part of its territory includes theAmazon rainforest, the largest in the world.
The oldest known irrigation canals in the Americas are located in theNanchoc District of Cajamarca Department. The canals in theZaña Valley have beenradiocarbon dated to 3400 BCE, and possibly date to 4700 BCE.[1] From the 6th to the 10th century the people of theWari culture ruled earlier cultures in the highlands. They established the administrative center ofWiraquchapampa.
In the 15th century, theIncas conquered the territory, expanding their empire. They established their regional capital in what is now Cajamarca. The Incas in 1465 established a newprovince there to serve as a bridge to their later conquests.[citation needed]