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AYACUCHO

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Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 71 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AYACUCHO , a See also:

city and See also:department of central See also:Peru, formerly known as Guamanga or Huamanga, renamed from the small See also:plain of Ayacucho (See also:Quichua, " corner of See also:death "). This lies near the See also:village of Quinua, in an elevated valley 11,600 ft. above See also:sea-level, where a decisive See also:battle was fought between See also:General See also:Sucre and the See also:Spanish See also:viceroy La Serna in 1824, which resulted in the defeat of the latter and the See also:independence of Peru. The city of Ayacucho, See also:capital of the department of that name and of the See also:province of Guamanga, is situated on an elevated See also:plateau, 8911 ft. above sea-level, between the western and central Cordilleras, and on the See also:main road between See also:Lima and See also:Cuzco, 394 m. from the former by way of Jauja. Pop. (1896) 20,000. It has an agreeable, temperate See also:climate, is regularly built, and has considerable commercial importance. It is the seat of a bishopric and of a See also:superior See also:court of See also:justice. It is distinguished for the number of its churches and conventual establishments, although the latter have been closed. The city was founded by See also:Pizarro in 1539 and was known as Guamanga down to 1825. It has been the See also:scene of many notable events in the See also:history of Peru. The department of AYACUCHO extends across the See also:great plateau of central Peru, between the departments of See also:Huancavelica and See also:Apurimac, with Cuzco on the E. and See also:Ica on the W. See also:Area, 18,185 sq. m.; pop.

(1896) 302,469. It is divided into six provinces, and covers a broken, mountainous region, partially barren in its higher elevations but traversed by deep, warm, fertile valleys. It formed a See also:

part of the See also:original See also:home of the Incas and once sustained a large See also:population. It produces See also:Indian See also:corn and other cereals and potatoes in the colder regions, and tropical fruits, sweet potatoes and mandioca (Jatropha manihot, L.) in the See also:low tropical valleys. It is also an important See also:mining region, having a large number of See also:silver mines in operation. Its name was changed from Guamanga to Ayacucho by a See also:decree of 1825.

End of Article: AYACUCHO

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