Tumbes

Peru

Also known as: Tumbez

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History

Tumbes, city, northwestern Peru. It is located on the Pacific coastal plain and on high banks overlooking the Tumbes River, 20 miles (30 km) from the Ecuadorian border.

In 1532 Francisco Pizarro landed at what is now Puerto Pizarro (the port for Tumbes, 12 miles [19 km] northwest), to begin his conquest of Peru. The town, originally a minor Inca fortress on the road to Quito, Ecuador, did not flourish, however, until after local border conflicts with Ecuador were resolved in 1942, which made trade with border towns profitable. Tumbes also became a city in 1942.

Nearby irrigated fields yield tobacco, cotton, rice, corn (maize), and bananas. Charcoal burning and rice milling are local activities, and fishing and tourism also provide income. Tumbes has an airfield and is 828 miles (1,332 km) northwest of Lima via the Pan-American Highway. Pop. (2005) 91,988.