Urubamba River

For the river Willkamayu in the Ayacucho Region, Peru, see Willkamayu.
Urubamba River (Willkamayu / Willkanuta)
Vilcanota River
The Willkanuta River in the Sacred Valley near Taray
Country Peru
Tributaries
 - left Luq'umayu, Kusichaka River, Kachimayu
 - right Ch'illkamayu
Mouth Ucayali River
Length 650 km (404 mi) [1]
Map of larger rivers in south-central Peru

The Urubamba River or Willkamayu[2] (Quechua for "sacred river")[3] is a river in Peru. Upstream it is called by its Aymara name Willkanuta ("house of the sun",[4] hispanicized Vilcanota). Within the La Convención Province[5] the naming changes to Urubamba. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the southeast of Cuzco. It originates on the slopes of Khunurana in the Puno Region, Melgar Province, near the La Raya pass.[5] It flows north-north-west for 724 kilometers before coalescing with the Tambo River to form the Ucayali River.

John Walter Gregory, the British geologist, drowned in the river on June 2, 1932 while on a geological expedition to the Andes.

The Urubamba is divided into Upper Urubamba and Lower Urubamba, the dividing feature being the Pongo de Mainique, an infamous whitewater canyon.

Upper Urubamba

The Upper Urubamba (Alto Urubamba) valley features a high population and extensive irrigation works. A number of ruins of the Inca Empire lie in the valley, including the Incan city of Machu Picchu, Patallaqta, Pikillaqta and Raqch'i.

Lower Urubamba

The Lower Urubamba (Bajo Urubamba) is relatively undeveloped and features a significant indigenous population consisting of the Campa tribes, principally the Machiguenga (Matsigenka) and Ashaninka. The economy is based on forestry and the nearby Camisea Gas Project. The main settlement in the region is the town of Sepahua.

1934 first mapping

The lower Urubamba River was mapped for the first time in 1934 by Edward Kellog Strong III. He and two friends from Palo Alto, California, Art Post and Gain Allan John, navigated the river with its ferocious rapids by canoe and balsa rafts provided by the indigenous people. The mapping was done at the request of the Peruvian military when they heard of the expedition planned by the three 18-year-olds.

It was turned over to the military when the boys arrived in Iquitos. It was the only map of the river until it was mapped by satellite many years later. The names and places on the latest map came from the original map drawn by Edward Strong.

Tributaries

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Urubamba River.

References

  1. ↑ Ziesler, R.; Ardizzone, G.D. (1979). "Amazon River System". The Inland waters of Latin America. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 92-5-000780-9. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "MINISTERIO DE TRABAJO DESTINARA S/.5.6 MILLONES PARA LA CAPACITACION DE JOVENES EN LA REGION CUSCO". Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary) : Willkamayu - s. Geog. (Río Sagrado) Vilcanota
  4. ↑ Radio San Gabriel, "Instituto Radiofonico de Promoción Aymara" (IRPA) 1993, Republicado por Instituto de las Lenguas y Literaturas Andinas-Amazónicas (ILLLA-A) 2011, Transcripción del Vocabulario de la Lengua Aymara, P. Ludovico Bertonio 1612 (Spanish-Aymara-Aymara-Spanish dictionary) : Willkanuta - Adoratorio muy célebre entre Sicuana y Chungara. Significa casa del Sol, según los indios bárbaros. Willka - Adoratorio dedicado al Sol u otros ídolos. / El Sol como antiguamente decían y ahora dicen inti. Uta - Nombre. Casa cubierta.
  5. 1 2 Ministerio del Ambiente, Estudio linea base ambiental de la cuenca del río Vilcanota, Lima-Peru, 2010 (in Spanish)

Coordinates: 11°33′16″S 73°8′54.9″W / 11.55444°S 73.148583°W / -11.55444; -73.148583

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