CAJAMARCA

department (formed 1855), northern Peru, bounded north by Ecuador and east by the Maran River. It has an area of 13,675 sq mi (35,418 sq km). Economic activity is limited mainly to cattle raising and agriculture. Crops vary with climate and altitude. Coffee and rice predominate in the northern lowlands, corn (maize), cereals, and alfalfa in the southern highlands. Mineral resources include gold, silver, coal, and copper. Cajamarca has the highest percentage of rural population of all Peruvian departments. The only urban area with more than 25,000 inhabitants is the capital city, Cajamarca (q.v.). Pop. (1984 est.) 1,170,800. capital of Cajamarca departamento, Nor Oriental del Maran regin, northern Peru, lying at 9,022 feet (2,750 m) above sea level on the Ro Cajamarca. An ancient Inca city, it was the site of the capture, ransom, and execution of the Inca chief Atahuallpa by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532. The settlement languished until 1802, when it was raised to the status of a city because of its proximity to newly discovered silver mines at Hualgayoc. Cajamarca has several colonial buildings (including a cathedral and the San Francisco Beln church), and it is the site of a National Technical University (1962). Nearby are thermal springs. The chief trade centre in the northern Andes, Cajamarca is linked by air to Chiclayo and Trujillo on the coast and by road to both the coast and the Amazon River basin. Its economy is based on mining, agriculture, and manufacturing (cloth, leather, straw hats); tourism is also important. Pop. (1993) 92,447.