LORETO, the largest and most easterly department in Peru (approximate 163,283 sq.m., est. pop. [1927] 15o,000), a partly undetermined tract in the level, forest-covered Amazonian plains east of the Andes, averaging 500 ft. above sea-level. The territory north of the Amazon and east of the cordillera is in dis pute with Ecuador (see PERU, Boundaries). Except for a few open areas such as the Pampa del Sacramento, the region is a continu ous jungle, whose only openings are the great tributaries of the Amazon, Pastaza, Tigre, Napo, Yavari, Ucayali, Huallaga and Maranon. Indian tribes, speaking many languages, differing greatly in manners and customs, fish and hunt along the rivers of Amazonia with spears, nets, bludgeons, bows and arrows and prac tice primitive agriculture much to-day as when Orellana first dis covered the Amazon (see AMAZON, Tribes). There are thou sands of miles of navigable waterways on all the great tributaries with regular steamer or launch service at the few ports of call (see PERU, Communications). The only port or town of im portance is Iquitos (q.v.), capital of the department. The Peru
vian navy maintains an Amazon flotilla, consisting of two river gunboats and two small transports. There are no roads, but two trails from Iquitos to the Pacific coast, the northern, via Yuri mahuas to Pacasmayo, the central, via the Pachitea and Chancha mayo rivers to Oroya and the Central railway. The chief industry has been the exploitation of wild rubber, but owing to competition of plantation rubber from the East Indies, exploitation has now practically ceased. Loreto abounds in plants used in making fabrics, for dyeing and tanning, oil and wax-bearing plants, food, aromatic, medicinal, narcotic and poisonous plants as well as vege table ivory (Phytelephus marcrocarpa) and crops include cotton, tobacco, sugar, coffee, rice, bananas, yuca, camotes, cacao, va nilla, vegetables and fruits. Lignite, gypsum, salt and other mineral resources are said to exist. There is some alluvial gold. The Standard Oil Company of Peru is prospecting in Loreto.