Lake Lauricocha

Lake Lauricocha[1][2] (possibly from Huánuco Quechua lawri bluish,[3] Quechua qucha lake, lagoon,[4] "bluish lake") is a lake in the Andes mountains of central Peru, within Huánuco Region.

For the lake in the Ancash Region Region, Peru, see Lawriqucha (Ancash).
Lake Lauricocha
Lake Lauricocha
Coordinates10°19′00″S 76°42′00″W
Basin countriesPeru
Max. length7 km (4.3 mi)
Max. width1.5 km (0.93 mi)
Surface elevation3,845 m (12,615 ft)

Geography

The lake is located near Raura mountain range[2] and has a surface elevation of 3,845 m and has an eastern-western orientation.[1] It has 7 kilometres (4 mi) of length, 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) of width and an average depth of 75 m.[2] The lake is part of the basin of the Lauricocha River, A Jesuit priest named Samuel Fritz drew a map in 1707 which showed the Marañón River as the main stream of the Amazon River. He identified Lake Lauricocha as the source of the Amazon.[5] Several additional places have since been proposed as sources of the Amazon.

Ecology

Certain parts on the lake shores are covered with reeds.[2] The predominant species in the lake is the introduced trout.[2] Among the fauna present around the lake are birds like ducks, tinamous and hawks; and mammals like tarucas, vizcachas, foxes and skunks.[2]

References
  1. Peru 1:100 000, Yanahuanca (21-j). IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional - Perú).
  2. "Laguna de Lauricocha". Inventario Turistico del Perú (in Spanish). MINCETUR. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  3. Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005: Lawri - s. Hist. (etim. De un dialecto huanuqueño: azulado). Cementerio inkaico en la provincia de Chankay, Lima, Perú.
  4. Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary): qucha, qhucha, quchacha. - s. Laguna. Lago pequeño. qucha, qhucha. - s. Lago. Gran masa de agua en una depresión.
  5. Loureiro Dias, Camila (July 2012), "Jesuit Maps and Political Discourse: The Amazon River of Father Samuel Fritz", The Americas, Vol 69, No. 9, p. 2014. Downloaded from Project Muse.
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