La Libertad is a region in northwestern Peru. It is bordered by the Lambayeque, Cajamarca and Amazonas regions on the north, the San Martín Region on the east, the Ancash and Huánuco regions on the south and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Trujillo and its main port is Salaverry . The region's name means Freedom in Spanish.

Political division

The region is divided into 12 provinces (provincias, singular: provincia), which are composed of 80 districts (distritos, singular: distrito). The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:

• Ascope (Ascope )
• Bolívar (Bolívar )
• Chepén (Chepén )
• Gran Chimú (Cascas )
• Julcán (Julcán )
• Otuzco (Otuzco )
• Pacasmayo (San Pedro de Lloc )
• Pataz (Tayabamba )
• Sánchez Carrión (Huamachuco )
• Santiago de Chuco (Santiago de Chuco )
• Trujillo (Trujillo)
• Virú (Virú )

Archaeology

The coastal strip set the stage for the rise of many pre-Columbian cultures, such as Cupisnique, which is more than 3,000 years old, and the pre-Ceramic Huaca Prieta civilization, whish is more than 5,000 years old. By the year 1,200 A.C., the first one to expand beyond its craddle was the Moche or Mochica culture. It was basically an agriculture and/or a warrior culture, which built countless temples and palaces such as the Sol (Sun), Luna (Moon), Esmeralda (Emerald), Arco Iris (Rainbow) and other "huacas". The Chimú culture emerged later and built its capital in Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. At its zenith, Chan Chan was home to 100 000 inhabitants who stubbornly resisted the expansion of the Inca Empire.

The archaeological remains of Chan Chan, 6 km (3.7 mi) northeast of Trujillo, are rather well-preserved although built with mud bricks ("adobe").