Quinua, Peru
Encyclopedia
- For the plant with a similar name, see QuinoaQuinoaQuinoa , a species of goosefoot , is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family...
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Quinua is small town in the province of Huamanga
Huamanga Province
-Political division:The province covers and is divided into fifteen districts:* Ayacucho * Acocro * Acos Vinchos * Carmen Alto * Chiara * Ocros * Pacaycasa * Quinua...
, in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
's central highland department of Ayacucho
Ayacucho
Ayacucho is the capital city of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.Ayacucho is famous for its 33 churches, which represent one for each year of Jesus's life. Ayacucho has large religious celebrations, especially during the Holy Week of Easter...
, 37 km (23 mi) from the city of Huamanga (Ayacucho
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho is a region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit by terrorism during the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as the internal conflict in Peru.A referendum was held on...
), at an altitude of 3300 metres (10,826.8 ft), which today serves as the administrative capital of the district of the same name. It is noted for its distinctive pottery and as the site of the 1824 Battle of Ayacucho
Battle of Ayacucho
The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. It was the battle that sealed the independence of Peru, as well as the victory that ensured independence for the rest of South America...
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Long noted for its pottery, and serving as a way station between the larger towns of Huamanga and Huanta
Huanta
Huanta is a town in Central Peru, capital of the province Huanta in the region Ayacucho....
, Quinua received a boost to its primarily agricultural subsistence
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
with the celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Ayacucho in 1974. In preparation for the ceremonies dedicating a 44 metres (144 ft) obelisk commemorating the 44-year struggle for independence, a paved roadway was built linking Quinua and Huamanga, thereby shortening to less than an hour what had until then been a day-long trip.
Following Peru's civil war between the Peruvian state and the Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
guerrilla movement, the town capitalized on its historic location, garnering a share of Ayacucho's tourism market. Among the attractions offered the more than 10,000 who visit each year are the battlefield and the commemorative obelisk, a historical museum featuring relics from the battle, and as well as the town's famous pottery, and colonial architecture.