Tumbes Region
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tumbes is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. Due to the region's location near the Equatorial line it has a warm climate, with beaches that are considered among the finest in Peru. Despite its small area, this region has been privileged with a great variety of ecosystems.
The name "Tumbes" originates from either Tumpis, a group of native peoples from the area, the word tumbos, a species of Passiflora that used to abound in the area, or the name of the Tumba cacique, whose son founded and populated the area.
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| See other Peruvian regions | ||
| President | Rosa Iris Medina | |
| Capital | Tumbes | |
| Area | 4,669.2 km² | |
| Population - Total - Density |
215,634 (2005 estimate) 43.3/km² |
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| Subdivisions | 3 provinces and 12 districts | |
| Elevation - Lowest - Highest |
0 m (sea level) 134 m (Cañaveral) |
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| Main resources | Petroleum, tobacco, bananas and fishing. | |
| Poverty rate | 46.8% | |
| Percentage of country's GDP | 0.49% | |
| Dialing code | 072 | |
| ISO 3166-2 | PE-TUM | |
| Official website: www.regiontumbes.gob.pe | ||
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The Tumbes Region is bordered by the Ecuadorian provinces of El Oro and Loja on the east; the Piura Region on the south; and by the Pacific Ocean on the north and west.
Morphologically, four zones can be defined in the region: the delta of the Tumbes and Zarumilla rivers; an alluvial plain north of the Tumbes River, with dry, low-depth ravines; ancient terraces that have been strongly eroded in the Máncora area; and the Amotape mountain range in the east and south, with its ending point at the El Barco Mountain. The delta of the Tumbes river is shallow and when the tide is low, little sandy keys show up, which get covered by mangrove vegetation.
Despite its reduced area (it is the second-smallest region in Peru), Tumbes has been privileged by nature with a great variety of ecosystems: mangroves, dry forests, the only coastal tropical forests in Peru, and a rich and warm sea. Around 50% of the region's territory is covered by three protected natural areas: the Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary (which is part of the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves), the Cerros de Amotape National Park and the Tumbes Reserved Zone.
[edit] Climate
Tumbes has a warm and humid tropical climate in the north and center of its region and a tropical-dry or tropical savanna climate in the south of its region. Temperatures shift at a maximum high of 40°C (over 42° if El Niño Phenomenom is present), a minimum low of 18°C and a yearly average of around 26°C. The rainy season, which is more severe during El Niño, is from December to March.
[edit] Demographics
Basically composed of a large mestizo population rooted in a mixture between the old Tumpis and Tallanes(pre-inca tribes), the Spanish, creoles, the African slaves, including mulatos or zambos, and a smaller oriental Cantonese community.
[edit] Population
According to the 1993 Census, the Tumbes Region has a population of 155,521 inhabitants, 53% of which (82,426) are male and 47% (73,095) are female.
As of 2005, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática esimates the region's population to be 215,634.
[edit] Languages
The majority of the region's residents (98.3%) speak Spanish as their native tongue; other languages spoken are Quechua (0.4%), foreign languages (0.1%), Aymara (60 speakers, 0.0%), and other indigenous languages (0.1%).
[edit] Immigration
Immigrants from other regions make up 29.4% of the population and 0.2% of residents were born in a foreign country.
The largest immigrant groups are from the regions of Piura (16.9% of the total population), Lambayeque (3.7%), and the Lima Province/Lima Region (2.8%).
[edit] Age
The population is spread out with 49.4% under the age of 20, 10.7% from 20 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 9.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.5% who are 65 years of age or older.
[edit] Education
The illiteracy rate in the region is 9.5%, while 90.4% of the population are able to read and write.
Secondary education has been completed by 31.8% of the population and 4.5% also have graduated from non-university higher education, while 2.3% have complete university studies. 45.9% only have attended primary education and 5.9% have not had any education.
[edit] Political division
The region is divided into 3 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular: provincia), which are composed of 12 districts (distritos, singular: distrito).
The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
[edit] History
Tumbes was a populated region well before the Inca Empire. The first settlers were fishers and hunters. Most recent cultures that lived there have left evidence of the refinement in their ceramics, and huacas or ruins that still stand today.
Tumbes was integrated into the Inca Empire during the reign of Sapa Inca Pachacuti. He introduced a new way of organizing the empire, but the task of integration continued during Tupac Inca Yupanqui's reign. He made it a key departure point for his campaign to conquer the Cañaris.
The adventure of the Spanish Conquistadores starts in Tumbes exactly around Puerto Pizarro, where he and his men landed in search of the gold. After overcoming countless difficulties, the conquerors were able to land in the empire of which they had heard many legends. Undoubtedly, the thought of such a rich empire had instilled in their spirit an unwavering will to go on. With the information gathered, the conquerors set off to the rest of the empire, founding cities and overpowering their people.
During colonial times, Tumbes was no more than a crossing point where soldiers and adventurers stopped momentarily to restock themselves, and continue traveling. Tumbes, however, gained permanent importance after Peru's independence, due to its closeness to the Ecuadorian border and this country's long-standing territorial claims over the Loreto Region of Peru set Tumbes as a resistance point and region of some episodes of the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War. This region's brave and heroic act against the neighbouring Ecuador established Tumbes no more as a province of Piura but as a Department of Peru.
As part of the decentralization process in Peru, a referendum was held on October 30, 2005 to decide whether the region would merge with the regions of Piura and Lambayeque to create the new Northern Region (Spanish: Región Norte). However, voters in the region voted against the merge.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Touristic sites
The fact that Tumbes lies so close to the Equator has determined its landscape, which teems in plantlife. The beaches of Tumbes and its warm sea are ideal for surfing and underwater fishing. The beach of Punta Sal is considered one of the finest on the Peruvian coast because of its pure white sands, sun and warm weather all year long, and a sea ideal for water sports. North of the city of Tumbes lies Puerto Pizarro, the gateway to the National Mangroves Sanctuary. The mangroves have formed vast clumps of water-borne forests which have created a unique ecosystem linking the river and the sea. The mangroves are the breeding grounds for black scallops, which are served up in Tumbes' most famous dish, the black scallops ceviche.
South of Tumbes lies Zorritos, the town which received its name from workers involved in drilling the first oilwell in the area, back in 1863. Not far from Zorritos lies the Bocapán beach, where visitors can swim in Hervideros, natural hot springs bubbling with iodized salts.
[edit] Typical dishes and beverages
The typical dishes of the Tumbesino cuisine are based on seafood, preferably black scallops cebiches, crabs, shrimps, and some plates made of bananas known as plátanos dominicos.
Among the most well-known dishes are, the black scallops cebiche, shrimp cebiche, the Tumbiresas covered by yuca and banana balls broth with dominicos, meat, red peppers, eggs, olives, raisins, flour, coriander and other herbs.
Other specialties include, the shrimp omelette, chupe de cangrejos, cebiche mixto, and the crab pulp omelette.
A typical beverage in the region is the chinguirito, which is obtained by combining pipa (the milk of a soft coconut) with the famous Pisco.
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) Portal del Gobierno Regional de Tumbes - Tumbes Regional Government official portal
- Peru Information by Regions: Tumbes
[edit] Tumbes Links
http://www.tumbes.org/ http://www.tumbestours.com/ http://www.vivatumbes.com/ http://www.puntasal.com.pe http://www.sunsetpuntasal.com/ http://www.puntacamaron.tripod.com/ http://www.playa-florida.com/ http://www.hotelcaballitodemar.com/ http://www.arrecifehotel.com/ http://www.casagrillo.com.pe/
| Political division of Peru |  |
|---|---|
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Amazonas | Ancash | Apurímac | Arequipa | Ayacucho | Cajamarca | Callao | Cusco | Huancavelica | Huánuco | Ica | Junín | La Libertad | Lambayeque | Lima | Loreto | Madre de Dios | Moquegua | Pasco | Piura | Puno | San Martín | Tacna | Tumbes | Ucayali |
|
| The Lima Province is not part of any of the twenty-five regions. |
