LIBERTAD or LA LIBERTAD, a coast department of Peru bounded north by Lambayeque, Cajamarca and Amazonas, east by San Martin, south by Huanuco and Ancachs and west by the Pacific. Pop. (est.) 380,000; area 10,209 square miles. The Western Cordillera, parallel with the coast, divides it into two parts, the western consisting of an arid, sandy coast zone and western slopes of the Cordillera, and the eastern, a high, inter Andine valley lying between the Central and Western Cordilleras through which flows the upper Marafion, which at one point is less than roc, m. in a straight line from the Pacific Ocean. The coast zone is traversed by several short streams, fed by melting snows of the Cordillera and extensively used for irrigation. These are, from north to south, the Jequetepeque (Pacasmayo), in whose valley rice is an important crop, the Chicama, in whose valley the sugar plantations are among the largest and best in Peru with up to-date industrial equipment, the Moche, Vina, Chao and Santa, the last, with its northern tributary, the Tablachaca, forming part of the southern boundary of the department. Cotton, coffee, rice and other crops as well as sugar are raised in several of these valleys. In the upland regions (sierra) with moderate rainfall and cool, healthy climate, agriculture is practised on a small scale, while sheep and especially cattle have been raised since early colonial times. The llama and alpaca were reared throughout the
sierra long before the Spanish conquest and still are. Copper and silver mines are worked in the provinces of Otuzco, Huamachuco and Santiago de Chuco, gold mines in Pataz. Coal of excellent quality is mined on a small scale in Otuzco and Huamachuco. Libertad has about 250 m. of railway, with construction actively in progress. In the north, a line runs from Pacasmayo to Chilete (Cajamarca) with a branch to Guadalupe; another from Salaverry to Trujillo and beyond, to Ascope and other towns in the Chicama valley, while a short spur extends up the valley of the Moche. The motor highway along the coast is finished from the northern boundary to the Chao river. The most important line of penetra tion extends from Trujillo to the mining centre, Quiruvilca. The principal ports are Pacasmayo and Salaverry, others are open roadsteads. The capital of the department and chief city is Tru jillo (pop. est. 30,000), situated about nine miles inland from the port of Salaverry. It is the seat of a university, a division of the supreme court and a bishopric. Other towns in which there are industries, mostly of a primitive nature, are San Pedro, Otuzco, Huamachuco and Santiago de Chuco.