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LORETO

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 8 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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LORETO , an inland See also:

department of See also:Peru, lying E. of the Andean Cordilleras and forming the N.E. See also:part of the See also:republic. Extensive territories, nominally parts of this department, are in dispute between Peru and the neighbouring republics of See also:Brazil, See also:Colombia and See also:Ecuador (see PERU), and the See also:northern and eastern boundaries of the territory are therefore not definitely determined. Loreto is bounded W. by the departments of See also:Amazonas and See also:San See also:Martin (the latter a new department, with an See also:area of 30,744 sq. m., taken from Loreto, lying between the central and eastern Cordilleras and extending from the 6th to the 9th See also:parallels, approximately), and S. by See also:Huanuco and See also:Cuzco. The area of the department, including the territories claimed by Peru, is estimated at 257,798 sq. in. The See also:population is estimated (1906) at 120,000. The aboriginal population is not numerous, as the thick, humid forests are inhabited only where lakes and streams make open spaces for sunlight and See also:ventilation. With the exception of the eastern Andean slopes and a little-known range of See also:low mountains on the Brazilian frontier, called the See also:Andes Conomamas, the See also:surface is that of a thickly wooded See also:plain sloping gently towards the Maranon, or Upper See also:Amazon, which crosses it from W. to E. There are open plains between the Ucayali and Huallaga, known as the See also:Pampas del See also:Sacramento, but otherwise there are no extensive breaks in the See also:forest. The See also:elevation of the plain near the See also:base of the Andes is 526 ft. on the Ucayali, 558 on the Huallaga, and 453 at Barranca, on the Maranon, a few See also:miles below the Pongo de Manseriche. The eastward slope of the plain is about 250 ft. in the 62o m. (See also:direct) between this point and Tabatinga, on the Brazilian frontier; this not only shows the remarkably level See also:character of the Amazon valley of which it forms a part, but also the sluggish character of its drainage. From the S. the See also:principal See also:rivers traversing Loreto are the Ucayali and Huallaga, the former entering from Cuzco across its See also:southern boundary and skirting the eastern base of the Andes for about four degrees of See also:latitude before it turns away to the N.E. to join the Maranon, and the latter breaking through the Eastern See also:Cordillera between the 6th and 7th parallels and entering the Maranon 143 M. below Yurimaguas, where See also:navigation begins.

The See also:

lower Ucayali, which has a very tortuous course, is said to have 868 m. of navigable channel at high See also:water and 620 m. at low water. See also:North of the Maranon several large rivers pass through Peruvian territory between the See also:Santiago and Napo (see ECUADOR), nearly all having navigable channels. On the level plains are a number of lakes, some are formed by the See also:annual floods and are temporary in character. Among the permanent lakes are the Gran Cocama, of the Pampas del Sacramento, the Caballococha—a widening of the Amazon itself about 6o m. N.W. of Tabatinga—and Rimachuma, on the north See also:side of the Maranon, near the lower Pastaza. The natural resources of this extensive region are incalculable, but their development has been well nigh impossible through lack of transport facilities. They include the characteristic See also:woods of the Amazon valley, See also:rubber, nuts, See also:cinchona or Peruvian bark, medicinal products, See also:fish, fruits and See also:fibres. The cultivated products include See also:cocoa, See also:coffee, See also:tobacco and fruits. See also:Straw hats and hammocks are manufactured to some extent. The natural outlet of this region is the Amazon See also:river, but this involves 2500 M. of river navigation from See also:Iquitos before the ocean is reached. Communication with the Pacific See also:coast cities and ports of Peru implies the See also:crossing of three high, See also:snow-covered ranges of the Andes by extremely difficult trails and passes. A rough See also:mountain road has been constructed from Oroya to Puerto See also:Bermudez, at the See also:head of navigation on the Pachitea, and is maintained by the See also:government pending the construction of a railway, but the distance is 2 ro m. and it takes nine days for a See also:mule See also:train to make the See also:journey.

At Puerto Bermudez a river steamer connects with Iquitos, making the distance of 930 M. in seven days. From See also:

Lima to Iquitos by this route, therefore, involves 17 days travel over a distance of 1268 m. The most feasible route from the department to the Pacific coast is that which connects Puerto See also:Limon, on the Maranon, with the Pacific See also:port of Payta, a distance of 410 m., it being possible to See also:cross the Andes on this route at the low elevation of 6600 ft. The See also:climate of Loreto is hot and humid, except on the higher slopes of the Andes. The See also:year is divided into a wet and a dry See also:season, the first from May to See also:October, and the See also:average annual rainfall is estimated at 70 in. though it varies widely between distant points. The See also:capital and only See also:town of importance in the department is Iquitos.

End of Article: LORETO

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