LAMBAYEQUE

departamento (formed 1874) of northern Peru. It consists of an arid desert coastal plain that climbs gently eastward from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes Mountains. Vast irrigation projects have made Lambayeque one of Peru's major agricultural regions and a leading department in rice and sugarcane production. Cotton, fruit, and corn (maize) are also cultivated. Railways connect agricultural areas with the departmental capital of Chiclayo (q.v.) and the chief seaports of Pimentel and Eten, which are on the Pan-American Highway. Area 5,495 square miles (14,231 square km). Pop. (1991 est.) 902,900.