Ucayali (Spanish pronunciation: [ukaˈʝali]) is an inland department and region of Peru. Located in the Amazon rainforest, its name is derived from the Ucayali River. Its capital is the city of Pucallpa. It is the second largest department in Peru, after Loreto, and it is slightly larger than South Korea.[1]

Ucayali
Departamento de Ucayali (Spanish)
Flag of Ucayali
Official seal of Ucayali
Location of the Ucayali department in Peru
Location of the Ucayali department in Peru
Coordinates: 9°58′S 73°11′W / 9.96°S 73.19°W / -9.96; -73.19
CountryPeru
Subdivisions4 provinces and 14 districts
Largest cityPucallpa
CapitalPucallpa
Government
 • GovernorFrancisco Pezo Torres
(2019–2022)
Area
 • Total101,830.64 km2 (39,317.03 sq mi)
Elevation
(Capital)
120 m (390 ft)
Highest elevation
350 m (1,150 ft)
Lowest elevation
135 m (443 ft)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total496,459
 • Density4.9/km2 (13/sq mi)
UBIGEO
25
Dialing code061
ISO 3166 codePE-UCA
Principal resourcesWood, fruit.
Poverty rate33.5%
Percentage of Peru's GDP0.85%
Websitewww.regionucayali.gob.pe
Fountain in the city of Pucallpa.
Fishing piranha on the Ucayali River.

Geography

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Boundaries

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The department of Ucayali is bordered by the Brazilian state of Acre on the east; the department of Madre de Dios on the southeast; Cusco on the south; Junín, Pasco and Huánuco on the west; and Loreto on the north.[citation needed]

Demographics

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Population

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According to the 2007 Census, the Ucayali department has a population of 432,159 inhabitants, 51.4% of which (222,132) are male and 48.6% (210,027) are female. 75.3% of the population (325,347) live in urban areas while the remaining 24.7% (106,812) live in rural areas.

As of 2002, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática estimated the department's population to be 468,922.

Languages

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Spanish is spoken as a first language by 87.6% of the population, while 4.1% speak Asháninka, 1.5% speak Quechua and 0.1% speak Aymara. Other indigenous languages, including Shipibo, are spoken by 6.6% of the population and 0.0% speak foreign languages.

Immigration

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Persons originating from other departments of the country make up 34.7% of the population and 0.2% of residents were born abroad.

The largest immigrant groups come from the Loreto Region (12.5% of the total population).

The population is spread out, with 53.9% under the age of 20, 9.3% from 20 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 8.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.5% who are 65 years of age or older.

Education

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Secondary education has been attended by 29% of the population and 2.3% also have graduated from non-university higher education, while 1.7% have complete university studies. 49.3% only have attended primary education and 9.1% have not had any education.

The illiteracy rate in the region is 14.2%

Political division

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The department is divided into 4 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular: provincia), which are composed of 14 districts (distritos, singular: distrito).

Provinces

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The provinces, with their capitals in parentheses, are:

Places of interest

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References

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  1. ^ "Gobierno Regional de Ucayali". www.gob.pe.
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