Ucayali River

The Ucayali River (Spanish: Río Ucayali, IPA: [ˈri.o ukaˈʝali]) arises about 110 km (68 mi) north of Lake Titicaca, in the Arequipa region of Peru. The Amazon River takes its name close to Nauta city (100 km upstream/south of Iquitos), at the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. The Ucayali becomes a major tributary of the Amazon River. Navigation was blocked by lengthy sections of rapids. The city of Pucallpa is located on the banks of the Ucayali.

The Ucayali, together with Apurímac River, Ene River, and Tambo River, is today considered the main headwater of the Amazon River, totaling a length of 2,669.9 kilometres (1,659.0 mi) from the source of the Apurímac at Nevado Mismi to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers:

The Ucayali was first called San Miguel, then Ucayali, Ucayare, Poro, Apu-Poro, Cocama and Rio de Cuzco. Peru has fitted out many costly and ably-conducted expeditions to explore it. One of them (1867) claimed to have reached within 380 km (240 mi) of Lima, and the little steamer "Napo" forced its way up the violent currents for 124 km (77 mi) above the junction with the Pachitea River as far as the Tambo River, 1,240 km (770 mi) from the confluence of the Ucayali with the Amazon. The "Napo" then succeeded in ascending the Urubamba branch of the Ucayali 56 km (35 mi) above its union with the Tambo, to a point 320 km (200 mi) north of Cuzco.

Ucayali Region

Ucayali is an inland region in Peru. Located in the Amazon rainforest, its name is derived from the Ucayali River. The regional capital is the city of Pucallpa.

Geography

Boundaries

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

Demographics

Population

According to the 2007 Census, the Ucayali Region 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 region's population to be 468,922.

Languages

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.