Piura | |
|---|---|
 Ñapique Lagoon | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location of Piura within Peru | |
| Coordinates:4°59′S80°25′W / 4.99°S 80.41°W /-4.99; -80.41 | |
| Country | Peru |
| Capital | Piura |
| Provinces | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Regional Government |
| • Governor | Servando García Correa |
| Area | |
• Total | 35,892.49 km2 (13,858.17 sq mi) |
| Elevation (Capital) | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 3,023 m (9,918 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −34 m (−112 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 2,103,099 |
| • Density | 58.59440/km2 (151.7588/sq mi) |
| Demonym | piurano/a |
| UBIGEO | 20 |
| Dialing code | 073 |
| ISO 3166 code | PE-PIU |
| Principal resources | Petroleum,rice,cotton,lemon |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% |
| Percentage of Peru'sGDP | 3.94% |
| Website | www.regionpiura.gob.pe |
Piura (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈpjuɾa]) is adepartment of Peru. Located on the country's northwestern coast, it is known for its tropical and dry beaches. It is the most populous department and region in Peru, its twelfth smallest department, and its fourth-most densely populated department, afterTumbes,La Libertad, andLambayeque. It is administered byregional government. Its capital isPiura and its largest port cities,Paita andTalara, are also among the most important in Peru.
The country's latest decentralization program is in hiatus after the proposal to merge departments was defeated in the national referendum in October 2005.[1][failed verification] Thereferendum held on October 30, 2005, as part of the ongoingdecentralization process in Peru, to decide whether the region would merge with the current regions ofLambayeque andTumbes to create a newRegión Norte was defeated.[citation needed]
The Piura Region is bordered to the north by theTumbes Region andEcuador, to the east byCajamarca Region, to the south by theLambayeque Region, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. "Punta Pariñas" in Piura is South America's most western point.
The territory of the Piura Region has many climate variations due to its geographical location. It is just4 degrees south of the equator, yet receives two ocean currents at the same time: the coldHumboldt Current (13–20 °C; 55–68 °F) and the warmEl Niño Current (20–27 °C; 68–81 °F). This makes the Piura Region a land that is both tropical and arid at the same time,The Land where the Tropics meets The Desert
The coast is divided by the Peruviansubtropical desert ofSechura on the south andsavanna-like scrubTumbes–Piura dry forests to the center and north of the region. There are also small valleys of tropical climate, whererice andcoconut fields are common, especially around thePiura andSullana rivers.
There ismontane forest (selva alta) as one goes away from the coast onto the sierra.Páramo climates and cooler temperatures appear higher in the sierra.
Topography is smooth in the coast and rough in theSierra. There are many arid plains in the southern region. TheSechura Desert, located south of thePiura River, is Peru's largest desert and one of the world's few examples of atropical desert; it borders a tropical terrain to the north. TheBayóvar Depression, which is the lowest point in Peru and all of theSouthern Tropics, is located in this desert.
The morphological forms most common in the coast are the dryravine that suddenly become copious when there are heavy rains, forming tropical dry forests all over. Other features are half-moon shapeddunes, the marine terraces such as those of Máncora, Talara and Lobitos. Valleys have been formed by fluvial terraces of theChira River andPiura River.
To the east, valleys are more or less deep and have been eroded by rivers formingequatorial tropical-dry-forests. The major peak surpasses 3000 m. The Paso de Porculla, in the southwest of the territory is only 2,138 meters high and is the lowest pass of the Peruvian Andes.
The rivers crossing its territory belong both to the Pacificwatershed and to theAmazon Basin. The Chira River is the most important and flows into the Pacific Ocean. The Piura River also flows into the Pacific Ocean although the flow varies greatly with the changing seasons and during severe droughts will dry up.
The climate issubtropical andtropical savanna in the center and north coast,Semi-arid in the southern coast nearLambayeque Region. Piura has atropical dry or tropical savanna climatemonsoon weather that averages 26 °C (79 °F) throughout the whole year. Pleasant warm winters (June to October) that average between 25 and 28 °C (77 and 82 °F) during the daytime and lows around 16 and 18 °C (61 and 64 °F) during the night.
In 2013 and 2016,Chulucanas and theLancones District, two places in the Department of Piura, recorded a temperature of 39.8 °C (103.6 °F). This is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Peru.[2]
Piura is covered by deserts, tropical valleys, dry equatorial forests, tropicalmontane climates as you reach between 1000 and 1500 meters, and a humid subtropical sierra climate if you reach over 2,000 meters. ThePáramo climate is found in the higher regions of the Sierra.
Rain is scarce from May to November: it rains only from December to April at discontinuous rates due to the influence of theEl Niño Current, but every so often, when the El Niño phenomenon arrives, rain is copious and makes the dry ravines become alive, giving rise not only to the impressive forests but to many floods and great landslides. El Niño occurs when ocean waters reach 27 °C (81 °F). When ocean water temperatures elevate 1 or 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than 26 °C (79 °F), the consequence could be catastrophic rains.
Although ocean waters can drop to 19 °C (66 °F) during the dry winter months (May to October), they can also rise to 27 °C (81 °F) during the humid summer months (December to April); this calls for pleasant rains; yet if the temperatures rise 1 or 1.5 °C degrees above that, El Niño is assured.
During the hottest days of summer (December to April), temperatures can reach almost 40 °C (104 °F) inland. During night time, 30s or even high 20s may seem unpleasant, which urge people to go to beach resorts such asMáncora or Colán.
The rest of the months have pleasant summer temperatures in the low 30s and mid 20s °C (77–90 °F).
Piura is a land of uniquealgarrobo trees, a variety ofmesquite similar to thecarob, and it is the region with the most equatorialtropical 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 finestmango (tropical dry). With Lambayeque, it is the original home ofPima cotton. Piura also produces bananas, coconuts, rice and other fruits as local income.
The "Manglares de San Pedro de Vice" in Sechura Province of Piura are the southernmost mangroves on the Pacific coast of South America.
Its development has been favoured also by thepetroleum found in the ocean ofTalara Province, fishing is blessed by two ocean currents, silver mines are common and the current Bayovar Deposits are present as well.
 | 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 most important culture that developed in the Piura region wasVicús, which stood out for itsceramics and delicate work ingold. TheTallanes orYungas, however, were the first settlers, who migrated from theSierra. During a period that is still vague, they lived inbehetrias, which were primitive settlements without a head or an organization. Later they were conquered by theMochicas and, centuries later, by theIncas, during the rule ofTupac Inca Yupanqui.
In 1532,Francisco Pizarro founded the first Spanish city in South America on the banks of theChira River in theTangarará 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 Englishpirates andprivateers forced a final relocation of the capital to Piura.
Duringcolonial times, life went by peacefully. Yet, the raids against the Spanish authorities led by Admirals Borran and Cochrane, members of the libertarian expedition ofJosé de San Martín, woke the longing for liberty in the minds of the local people.
| 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) |
Piura is host to a stunningmestizo culture, since all races mix here.LocalPiuranos 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. Locals for example, call themselvesChurres (popular term used for a young Piuran or northern person).
Piuranos are characterized by their witty minds, melancolicTondero music and welcoming personalities. Like many Peruvians, they enjoy drinkingchicha de jora,pisco or beer and many of them have a tendency towards creativity and art as their source of income.
Local gastronomical dishes include the PiuranSecho de Chavelo (the capital's dish),Algarrobina cocktails, many types ofceviches and other seafoods likeMajarisco andPasao al Agua. Piura is famed for itsnatilla sweets as well.[citation needed]
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 takesiestas and better to wake up early to get important stuff done before noon.
Processions and religious folk are passionately practiced by some of the locals. One of them isCristo de Ayabaca.
Popular crafts are theChulucana Pottery and handy hats and silversmith arts made from theCatacaos Province.
Northern cowboys can still be seen today wandering the deserts ofSechura,Catacaos and the forests ofMorropon transporting their goods using donkeys and mules. They seem to resemble physically the "American Southwest"cowboys, or Argentiniangauchos and Mexicancharros. They are noted not only for their abilities to sing and playCumanana and Tondero but assilversmiths that work the filigreeearrings,leathers,hats, wooden and silver utensils of Catacaos region.[citation needed]
TheTondero andCumanana are the traditional music of the Piura Region.
Chicha music, now calledTecnocumbia (originally a Peruvian styled cumbia with electronic elements), is the modern version of popular music all over, as well asSalsa among youngsters.
Another great tradition that is sung by all northern Peruvians is the famousPeruvian Waltz, well practiced by traditional musicians (northern Peruvians have their style).
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 parentheses, are:
Populated places include:
| This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Department of Piura" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Italics indicate provinces under a special regime. TheConstitutional Province of Callao does not belong to any region. |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
.svg)
