Chota, Peru


Chota is a town in Northern Peru, capital of the province Chota in the region Cajamarca. The city is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Chota.

History

In pre-Inca times, chotanos territories were occupied by various cultures, such as Los Huambos in the West and Cuismanco in the east, getting a strong influence of the Chavin, Wari and Moche cultures of which there are archaeological remains of great importance as Pacopampa, Negropampa, Rejopampa and others.
The foundation of the city of Chota took place on two dates: one in 1552 and another in 1559, it is not clear if it was on these two dates.
During the Pacific War, after the Battle of San Pablo the Araucanian entered Chota, to which the people decided to poison the waters of the river Colpamayo and by that the Chilean ordered the burning of the city.
On August 29, 1882, Chota was burned by Chilean troops in retaliation for the defeat they suffered in San Pablo and consider it as the headquarters of the North. Thousands of homes fell, the church was also burned, saving the image of the Patroness, Mary Immaculate, whose dogma was proclaimed on December 8.

Geography

Chota is located north of Cajamarca and east of Chiclayo. It lies at above sea level on the Acunta plateau, on the eastern slope of the Andes.
The city is bounded on three sides by rivers of the westernmost Amazon basin: to the north is the San Mateo, to the east the Colpamayo. Both flow broadly westward into the Rio Chotano, which forms Chota's south-western boundary.

Climate

The city generally has a temperate climate. The rainfalls are due to El Niño cyclically because of the proximity to the Equator and for being a city in thermal ground floor. It has a mild winter and a hot and rainy summer from November to April. The average temperature is 17.8 °C.

Festivals

The main festival of the city is the San Juan Bautista festival. It starts on June 13 with the triumphal entry in a procession, bearing to June 24 as the central day. The activities that are carried out are: