Geography of Pasco

Pasco’s territory, located on the limit with Lima, is rough because it corresponds to the eastern side of the Western Cordillera. To the western side, it has high plateaus and becomes less rough. The near jungle area is very abrupt with deep narrow valleys confined by high-sloped hills. The high jungle has wide valleys and is confined by hills of varied altitude.

There is a transition sector between the high jungle and the low jungle with an irregular relief because of the “half-orange” shaped hills. Ravines separate them from one another. They remain dry or carry little water in winter and flood during the rainy summer season. On the banks of the rivers of the high jungle and the low jungle there are stepped terraces. People have built homes and towns here, where they farm and raise cattle.

Rivers crossing the department belong to the Amazon hydrographic system. The most important is the Huallaga River that sheds its waters into the Maranon River after going through the departments of Huanuco, San Martin and Loreto.

The capital of Pasco is Cerro de Pasco. It is located on the Bombon Plateau. This is a large plateau that extends into the Junin department.