THE COASTAL DESERT 



119 



the coastal region of Peru, shows this distinctive feature of the 

 central region. Beyond Salaverry extends the northern region, 

 where nearly all the irrigated land is found some distance back 

 from the shore. The farther north we go the more marked is this 



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Fig. 69 — A stream of the intermittent type in the coastal desert of Peru. Depth 

 of water in the Puira Eiver at Puira, 1905. (Bol. de Minas del Peru, 1906, No. 45, p. 2.) 



feature, because the coastal belt widens. Catacaos is several miles 

 from the sea, and Piura is an interior place. At the extreme north, 

 where the rains begin, as at Tumbez, the cultivated land once more 

 extends to the coast. 



These three regions contain all the fertile coastal valleys of 

 Peru. The larger ones are impressive— with cities, railways, 



Fig. 70 — A stream of the perennial type in the coastal desert of Peru. Depth of 

 water in the Chira River at Sullana, 1905. Data from May to September are ap- 

 proximate. (Bol. de Minas del Peru, 1906, No. 45, p. 2.) 



ports, and land in a high state of cultivation. But they are after 

 all only a few hundred square miles in extent. They contain less 

 than a quarter of the people. The whole Pacific slope from the 

 crest of the Cordillera has about 15,000 square miles (38,850 sq. 

 km.), and of this only three per cent is irrigated valley land, as 

 shown in Fig. 66. Moreover, only a small additional amount may 

 be irrigated, perhaps one half of one per cent. Even this amount 



