Chota District

Chota
—  District  —
Country	Peru
Region	Cajamarca
Province	Chota
Founded
Capital	Chota
Government
- Mayor	Lorenzo Eduardo Rubio Castro
Area
- Total	261.75 km2 (101.1 sq mi)
Elevation	2,388 m (7,835 ft)
Population (2005 census)
- Total	48,332
- Density	184.6/km2 (478.2/sq mi)
Time zone	PET (UTC-5)
UBIGEO	060401

Chota District is one of nineteen districts in the Chota Province in Peru.^[1] It is located in the central part of the province in the northern Andean region of Peru. Its capital is located on the plateau of Acunto at 2,388 meters above sea level and 150 km north of Cajamarca, or 219 km east of Chiclayo, Lambayeque.

History

The pre-Incan history of Chota clearly shows the influence of Mochica Chavín; Cabello de Balboa in his "Miscellanea Austral" described their god Chota as a "man of great talent and great valor"--specifically mentioning the Acunto plateau. One of his descendants also carried this name. The Spanish conquest found the locals in a disorganized and rebellious state.

During the war with Chile, after the battle of San Pablo when the Araucanian entered Chota, the people decided to poison the waters of Colpamayo. Chileans ordered the burning of Chota, August 29, 1882 in retaliation for the defeat they suffered at San Pablo. Thousands of houses fell, and the church burned although the statue of their patron saint, Maria Inmaculada, was saved.

Chota dates to the Pre Inca period through the Incan. It was founded on 1 November 1559 and became part of the district of Huambo in 1777, with the name "All Saints". Chota was proclaimed independent on January 12, 1821. Horacio Villanueva granted it the status of "province" under Mayor Innocent Consar on February 6, 1821, and provisional status was granted by Don Jose San Martin during the Protectorate.

Festivals

The main festival is San Juan, held on 24 June; the bullfight in the Coso "El Vizcaíno", is the primary attraction. The Patronal Fiesta Santa Rosa de Lima takes place in the Cabracancha district of Chota, and is celebrated on August 30.

References

1. ^ (Spanish) Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. Banco de Información Distrital. Retrieved April 11, 2008.