History of HuamboThanks to investigations, they found four pre-inca cultures in the valley of Huambo:
The incas were looking for "pozos ecologicos" and were surprised by the variety of the Colca valley. Especially the mais has a very good quality of taste, colour and texture. At this moment, this corn is called "mais cabañita". This type of corn was very famous in the inca empire. The villages between Yanque and Lari were under command of the Collahuas. The village of Cabanaconde was under command of the Cabanas. The Quechuas or Cabanas lived in the lower zones and the Aymaras lived in the higher zones of the Colca. Till 1898, the actual district of Huambo has been a part of Cabanaconde. During the spannish era, Cabanaconde and Huambo were favorite places of the spaniards to settle with their families, because of the nice climate. That is why the people of Huambo are a mixture of races. In the 20th century, Huambo became an independent district. Because the country people organised themselves, they got recognised as a farmer community in the year 1961. Later came the agricultural reformation during president Velasco Alvarado. This president got rid of the big landowners and divided the land between the slaves and workers. The district of Huambo is located, close to the coastal valleys of South-Peru. (Majes and Sihuas). That is why the (more important or richer) people in Huambo wear hats of reed, called "valletero de Macora" (like the man in the picture) together with the typical clothes of the Cabanas (like the woman in the right picture). This is something typical of the whole Colca valley. 
General information about HuamboHuambo is situated in the lower part of the Colca canyon in the province of Caylloma, in the department of Arequipa in Peru at 3330 m. above sea level in the ecological quechua region, according to Pulgar Vidal. For more information (in spannish) about ecological regions in Peru click: serrania esteparia or quechua region. During the day, the temperature in Huambo is between 22 °C and 24 °C and at night the temperature drops to 7 °C and 4 °C during the winter. Most of the year it's sunny and also at night the sky is very clear without (light) polution, so it is a favorite place for astronomers. At this moment the major part of the population of the district of Huambo is located in the villages Huambo, Chinini and Canco.
FloraHuambo has a diversity of flora, which can be seen in forests of the Queñua tree, lloque tree, cactuses, together with other typical andean plants and flowers, but also a lot of fruits in the lower parts of the valley. Also a few typical fruits of this area, that are rare in other parts. Membrillo and vicchun (andean papaya) are some examples. The green fields around Huambo have a very nice aroma. 
FaunaAlso the fauna is extraordinary. With a variety of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mamals. Wild animals: tarucas (kind of reindeer), pumas, vicuñas, vizcachas (andean rabits), parihuanas (sea birds!), huallatas (large ducks), partridges, foxes, yanahuico, lagartijas (lizards), toads, snakes, kivio (bird), chini, frogs, eagles, condor, trout and in Canco at 1800 m. there are also camarones (shrimps) Domestic animals: Llamas, alpacas, cows, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry. |