Mantaro Valley
| Mantaro Valley | |
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 Mantaro Valley
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| Coordinates: 11°55′S 75°20′W / 11.917°S 75.333°WCoordinates: 11°55′S 75°20′W / 11.917°S 75.333°W | |
| Country | Peru |
| Region | Junin |
| Elevation | ave. 3,300 m (10,800 ft) |
| Time zone | PET (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | PET (UTC-5) |
The Mantaro Valley, is a fluvial inter-Andean valley of Junin region, 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Lima, the capital of Peru. The Mantaro River flows through the fertile valley which produces potatoes, maize, and vegetables among other crops. The Mantaro Valley is also renowned as an area containing many archaeological sites. At the northern end of the valley is the city of Jauja, an important pre-Columbian city and Peru's provisional capital in 1534. Huancayo is the largest city in the valley.
The Mantaro Valley is a north-south trending valley about 60 kilometres (37 mi) long between the cities of Jauja and Huancayo, Peru. The Mantaro River bisects the valley, emerging from a steep gorge at the northern end of the valley and entering another steep gorge at its southern end. The valley floor averages about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide at elevations ranging from 3,150 metres (10,330 ft) to 3,500 metres (11,500 ft). The land on either side rises to mountain ranges of more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) elevation. The highest mountain in the area is Huaytapallana, 14 miles northeast of Huancayo, which has an elevation of 5,567 metres (18,264 ft).
The broad Mantaro valley is unusual in the Andes as it possesses a large amount of cultivatable land. Thus, dating back to Pre-Columbian times, it has been a breadbasket for the people of the Andes. The valley contains about 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres) of cultivatable lands ranging in elevation from 3,150 metres (10,330 ft) to 4,200 metres (13,800 ft), the highest elevation at which cultivation is possible in this area.
It was inhabited by the Wanka (Huanca) people - a self-governing nation with a reputation for producing strong warriors and whose spiritual practices placed an emphasis on remembering their ancestors part of the mystique of the Mantaro Valley. In some cases, descendants actually form part of the valley. One legend in particular includes that of the "guerrero" or soldier, who courts a mermaid in Laguna de Paca, a lake in the valley largely isolated, and courts the mermaid each night; she moans and cries for him to join her, then she disappears beneath the surface. One night, she disappears into the water, and the soldier jumps in after her. He looks under the water for the mermaid, but runs out of air and gives up. His body is lost, but now appears as a mountain range present surrounding the valley in the shape of a man's body. This legend of the Huancan warrior of Laguna de Paca has numerous variations and explains the deep connection many residents of the town of Paca have with the Mantaro Valley.
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Wikipedia