Chala

The Chala ( from Aymara Ch'alla, "sand" ) is the lowest lying by Javier Pulgar Vidal height level west of the Andes, from the sea level to 500 meters above sea level.

The surface relief of Chala is versatile: ridges, which extend to the sea, alternate with shallow, sandy sections and dunes, so that the result places a bay rich coastline.

When Chala is a desert landscape, interrupted by very fertile river valleys whose rivers are partly temporary, and that already the ancient civilizations such as the Mochica or later the Chimu allowed a very productive agriculture. Nowadays there cotton, rice, sugarcane, grapes and olives are grown on an industrial scale.

In northern Peru, the climate is hot and sunny with each seasonal rains. In southern Peru seems from December to May the sun while otherwise prevailing fog and virtually no rain falls. Despite the lack of rain, the relative humidity is comparatively high.

Due to the cold Humboldt current and the high western mountain range of the Andes, the climate is cooler and much drier than the comparable in other regions of the world latitudes. At the same time, there is little air pressure fluctuations.

In Chala regionally diverse vegetation types. Among the most important part, introduced plants belong to the American carob tree ( Prosopis pallida, a Mesquite - type ), eg for mats, baskets, boxes used sedges, Totora, coconut palms, date palms, olive trees and vines.