Madre de Dios
The Madre de Dios River, homonymous to the Peruvian region it runs through, then becomes the Beni River in Bolivia and then turns northward into Brazil, where it is called the Madeira River. The Madeira is a tributary to the Amazon River.
The Madre de Dios is an important waterway for the department of Madre de Dios, particularly Puerto Maldonado, the largest town in the area, and the capital of the department. Mango farming and Gold mining are among the many industries on its beaches. Other important industries the Madre de Dios provides are selective logging and farming, both of which are serious environmental problems. Along the length of the river there are several national parks and reserves, notably Tambopata-Candamo National Park, Manu National Park (also known as Manu Biosphere Reserve) and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.
Madre de Dios is a region in southeastern Peru, bordering Brazil, Bolivia and the Peruvian regions of Puno, Cusco and Ucayali. Its capital is the city of Puerto Maldonado. The name of the region is a very common Spanish-language designation for the Virgin Mary, literally meaning Mother of God.
The region is almost entirely low-lying Amazonian rainforest. The climate is warm and damp, with average temperatures around 26 °C (79 °F) [max. 34 °C (93 °F), min 21 °C (70 °F)]. The rainy season is from December to March, when torrential rainfall causes rivers to swell and often burst their banks. Annual precipitation can be as much as 3 metres (9.8 ft).
The south-western boundary with the Cusco Region is known as the Isthmus of Fitzcarrald, a series of small mountains that separate the Madre de Dios River and the Urubamba River.
Notable rivers in the Madre de Dios River watershed are:
•Inambari River
•Tambopata River
•Manu River
•Tahuamanu River
•Las Piedras River, also known as Tacuatimanu River
•Heath River
•Acre River
•Los Amigos River
Due to the vast size of the area and its low population density, rivers provide the best way of getting from one town to another. Human activity is invariably confined to riverbanks. A number of explorers have searched for the lost city of Paititi in the jungle within the region.
The only road of note is between the town of Puerto Maldonado and the city of Cusco, 530 kilometres (330 mi) away in Cusco Region. However, it is in very poor condition and flights between Cuzco and Puerto Maldonado remain the most common and reliable method of transport between the two.
From Puerto Maldonado there is a road to the mining town of Laberinto ("Labyrinth") (about 50 kilometres (31 mi) long). A second road is between the village of Atalaya and Cuzco. It is a roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi)-long single track road that is impassable in the rainy season.
Madre de Dios
The Madre de Dios River, homonymous to the Peruvian region it runs through, then becomes the Beni River in Bolivia and then turns northward into Brazil, where it is called the Madeira River. The Madeira is a tributary to the Amazon River.
The Madre de Dios is an important waterway for the department of Madre de Dios, particularly Puerto Maldonado, the largest town in the area, and the capital of the department. Mango farming and Gold mining are among the many industries on its beaches. Other important industries the Madre de Dios provides are selective logging and farming, both of which are serious environmental problems. Along the length of the river there are several national parks and reserves, notably Tambopata-Candamo National Park, Manu National Park (also known as Manu Biosphere Reserve) and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.
Madre de Dios is a region in southeastern Peru, bordering Brazil, Bolivia and the Peruvian regions of Puno, Cusco and Ucayali. Its capital is the city of Puerto Maldonado. The name of the region is a very common Spanish-language designation for the Virgin Mary, literally meaning Mother of God.
The region is almost entirely low-lying Amazonian rainforest. The climate is warm and damp, with average temperatures around 26 °C (79 °F) [max. 34 °C (93 °F), min 21 °C (70 °F)]. The rainy season is from December to March, when torrential rainfall causes rivers to swell and often burst their banks. Annual precipitation can be as much as 3 metres (9.8 ft).
The south-western boundary with the Cusco Region is known as the Isthmus of Fitzcarrald, a series of small mountains that separate the Madre de Dios River and the Urubamba River.
Notable rivers in the Madre de Dios River watershed are:
•Inambari River
•Tambopata River
•Manu River
•Tahuamanu River
•Las Piedras River, also known as Tacuatimanu River
•Heath River
•Acre River
•Los Amigos River
Due to the vast size of the area and its low population density, rivers provide the best way of getting from one town to another. Human activity is invariably confined to riverbanks. A number of explorers have searched for the lost city of Paititi in the jungle within the region.
The only road of note is between the town of Puerto Maldonado and the city of Cusco, 530 kilometres (330 mi) away in Cusco Region. However, it is in very poor condition and flights between Cuzco and Puerto Maldonado remain the most common and reliable method of transport between the two.
From Puerto Maldonado there is a road to the mining town of Laberinto ("Labyrinth") (about 50 kilometres (31 mi) long). A second road is between the village of Atalaya and Cuzco. It is a roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi)-long single track road that is impassable in the rainy season.