- Cotahuasi Canyon
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Cotahuasi Canyon near the city of Arequipa in Peru is the deepest canyon in the world. Its maximum depth is 3535 metres in the vicinity of Ninancocha, 335 metres more than the Colca Canyon. The Cotahuasi Canyon is an impressive chasm that the river has eroded between two enormous mountain massifs: the Coropuna (6425 m.s.n.m.) and the Solimana (6093 m.s.n.m.). One extends from spurs of the snow-covered Solimana to the confluence with the Ocoña river.
It is formed by the Cotahuasi River, arising at more than 4750 m.s.n.m. in Lake Huanzococha. It receives the tributaries of the Huayllapaña river in the neighborhood of Pampamarca, to the north, and the Huarcaya near Tomepampa, to the west, and is later joined by the Maran River to form the Ocoña River that ends at the Pacific Ocean.
Cotahuasi is located at the highest Andean point of Arequipa, in the south of Peru. This province is characterized by its steep relief: incised by rivers and gullies, ranging between 1,000 and 6,093 metres, with 19 ecological zones. As is the case with cultures all over the world, the people of highland Arequipa Province are also changing with the times. Nonetheless, the altitude and remoteness of this region mean that residents have retained many of the practices that are now no longer common in neighboring regions.
See also
External links
Categories:- Canyons and gorges of Peru
- Peru geography stubs
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