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South America: Bolivia

This division of South America is an independent republic, and covers an area computed at 405,040 sq. m. It lies between lat. 3° 20′ and 22° 20′ S., and long. 67° and 81° W. On its N. boundary is Ecuador, between which country and Peru runs the river Maranon or Upper Amazon; on the E. are Brazil and Bolivia; on the S., Bolivia; and on the W. the Pacific Ocean. There are in the Republic 21 departments (which are in turn subdivided into provinces, and these into districts), and two littoral or coastal provinces. The departments are:-Piura, Amazonas, Loreto, Libertad, Cajamarca, Ancachs, Lima, Huánuco, Junin, Ica, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Cuzco, Lambayeque, Puno, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Callao. While the coast line of Peru presents great irregularity and is deeply notched with natural indentations, there are really no harbors of size or importance, with the exception of that known as the Bay of Sechura, which fronts the desert of the same name between the fifth and sixth parallels, and also the Bay of Pisco and Independence Bay, between lat. 13° and 15°. The important ports do not exceed ten; and may be enumerated as follows:-Payta, in the department of Piura, which affords the best anchorage on the coast, and is also classed as the oldest port in Peru; Eten, and Salaverry, in Libertad; Callao, the port of Lima, six miles away, and which is shielded by the barren island of San Lorenzo; Pisco, in the department of Ica; Islay, in Arequipa, formerly the port of Arequipa city, but now superseded by Mollendo, a few miles S.; Arica, in Moquegua, from which point Bolivia does most of her Pacific trading. While there are 24 other ports along the coast, they are of no importance commercially, being nothing more than open roadsteads. Even Mollendo is a roadstead, where at times the water is so rough as to prevent communication between ship and shore for several days. Along the N. section of Peru the shore is bold and the water deep. Islands are fewer off this than any other South Pacific coast. The most important groups are the Chinchas, at the entrance to the Bay of Pisco: the Guanape, Macabi, and Lobos, and the Pájaos islets. All of these islands are noted for their guano deposits. San Lorenzo, at the entrance to the Bay of Callao, is the largest island on the coast, attaining in some places an elevation of 1000 ft.

MOUNTAINS.-The great range of the Andes which extends throughout South America, traverses Peru in two distinct systems known respectively as the Cordillera Oriental, which is the Andes proper, and the Cordillera Occidental, or, more properly and understandingly speaking, the coast range. This latter enters the country from the S., and runs almost parallel to the shore and from 45 to 65 m. therefrom, joining the Andes proper between lat. 14° and 15º. Here is the N. limit of the great interalpine plain containing Lake Titicaca. Near the E. extremity of this knot stands the imperial city of Cuzco. Among the highest peaks are Vilcanota, 15,525 ft. above sea level; Carabaya, Abancay, Huando, and Andahuaylas. The tableland of Cuzco is about 15,000 sq. m. in area, and is divided by low transverse ridges into numerous valleys. In the N. extremity, in another spur of the mountain range, are the el Toldo de Nieve, with summits above perpetual snow, and also the colossal peaks of La Viuda and Sasaguanca. Silver mines are numerous in the region of Pasco. The Andes proper is the dividing line between the basins of the Huallaga and Maranon. Some of the passes in this range are the highest on the globe; that from Lima to Tarma and Pasco crosses the ridge at an elevation of 15,760 ft. The snow line is lower in Peru than in Bolivia, being about 16,000 ft., while in the latter country it is 17,000 ft. The culminating point Peru, the volcano of Misti, in Arequipa, is 20,300 ft. above the sea, which is lower than all the volcanic peaks of Bolivia. Arequipa is the principal volcanic region of Peru. Besides the peak of Misti, are Pichu, Charcani, (18,000 ft.) and the Pan de Azucar (17,000 ft.). The most destructive eruptions have occurred at Misti.