LAURICOCHA, LAKE

Spanish Lago Lauricocha, northernmost of a chain of glacier-fed lakes in the Andes Mountains, central Peru, about 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Lima. It lies at an elevation of 12,615 feet (3,845 m). The Maran River, the main stream of the Amazon River, issues from the lake; hence, it was once regarded as the source of the Amazon. The lake lies in one of Peru's most sparsely populated areas.