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MOCHE, Inc. |
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Mobilizing Opportunity Through Community Heritage Empowerment |
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Peru and the Moche Valley |
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Peru is a relatively large nation located on the central pacific coast of South America. It has a long coastline, running about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) from north to south and a population of nearly 30 million, with about 10 million calling the capital city of Lima their home. Lima is the economic and political center of the country and it is the only city in Peru with an international airport. Peru is famous for its extreme natural and cultural diversity and offers amazing vistas and great beauty in all of its diverse regions. With the world's second tallest mountain chain, the world's largest jungle and one of the world's driest deserts, Peru really does offer myriad beauty. In addition, Peru was home to many pre-Colombian civilizations, including the famed Inca Empire. The archaeology and cultural history of Peru is unrivaled by any other nation in the western hemisphere, and with sights like Machu Picchu and cities like Cuzco, Cajamarca and Arequipa, it is no wonder that tourism is the third largest industry in the country.
Spanish is the national language of Peru, though many of the people in the highlands also speak Quechua (the native language of the Inca) or Aymara (the language of the Tiwanaku empire that was based in Bolivia). |
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| The Moche Valley is located on the north coast of Peru in the province of La Libertad. Trujillo, the third largest city in Peru, is the economic capital of the province and is located at the delta of the Moche River. Though the north coast is a desert, the Moche River Valley is a very fertile and productive region. The farmers utilize ditch and canal irrigation, diverting water from the river into their farms to grow crops like sugar cane, artichokes, cabbage, peppers, coca, cotton and many other fruits and vegetables. The ocean, too, is very productive yielding dozens of types of cold-water fish. Though the climate of northern Peru is very mild, with temperatures rarely dropping below 60 and highs in the mid 70s, even in the winter, the ocean is spectacularly cold thanks to the Humboldt current that brings cold, nutrient-rich water up from Antarctica. The archaeology is also fantastic in this region, as the Moche valley is home to Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol (the capital city of the Moche empire) and |
| For more on the archaeology of the area click here. |
| Chan Chan (the capital city of the Chimu empire). The Moche state was formed in this valley around 200-400 CE and later the Chimu dominate the region, only to be displaced by the Inca. All in all, the Moche Valley offers great views, a wonderful climate and tasty, fresh food, including the local delicacy of ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice). |
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This upcoming summer, MOCHE will be managing a Peruvian/American collaborative public health assessment in the middle valley to obtain demographic data about the residents of the area and to define opportunities for improvement. At that time, we will have more precise information about the populations of these towns.
The Middle Moche Valley is in the District (County) of Laredo. The city of Laredo is the seat. The District of Laredo is in the región (state) of La Libertad. The capital of La Libertad is Trujillo.
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| Ciudad de Dios |
est. pop. 360 |
Water Project– 2008
School- 2006
Latrines and total sanitation - 2009-2011
Mural Project– 2008
Protected Archaeological Reserve
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| Bello Horizonte |
est. pop. 2,500 |
Clinic Project
Archaeological reserve
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| Santa Rosa |
est. pop. 70 |
| Santa Rosa Alta |
est. pop. 70 |
Quirihuac, Las Cocas
and El Castillo
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est. pop. 708 |
| Quirihuac Viejo |
est. pop. 200 |
Cerro Blanco and
Puente Fierro |
est. pop. 1,000 |
| San Borja |
est. pop. 45 |
| Menocusho |
est. pop. 1,000 |
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Estimated Population Total: 5,953 |
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