Utcubamba (hispanicized spelling) or Utkhupampa (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

''utkhu''

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

, ''pampa'' a large plain,Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua_Spanish dictionary) "cotton plain") is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

in the Amazonas Region of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, located at . The name is a historical reference to the past agricultural practice of growing cotton in the Utcubamba Valley. The Utcubamba River originates in the highlands of the central mountain range, then it flows north through the Amazonas Region before joining the

Marañón River , name_etymology = , image = Maranon.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Valley of the Marañón between Chachapoyas ( Leimebamba) and Celendín , map = Maranonrivermap.png , map_size ...

. The semitropical valley of the river is the former site of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

Chachapoyas culture The Chachapoyas, also called the "Warriors of the Clouds", was a culture of the Andes living in the cloud forests of the southern part of the Department of Amazonas of present-day Peru. The Inca Empire conquered their civilization shortly bef ...

and a popular tourist destination. Its many tributaries support the towns and farms of La Peca, Copallín,

Cajaruro Cajaruro District is one of seven districts of the province Utcubamba in Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática The Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) ("National Institute of Statistics and Informatics ...

, Shipasbamba, La Florida, and Yambrasbamba. Numerous hydroelectric dams have been built on the Utcubamba River from which a large portion of the Amazon Region derives its electricity. The Utcubamba River also passes through the Utcubamba Valley and is the source of irrigation for most of the cultivation done here. The tropical climate of the valley combined with the availability of water for the farms has helped to make this area one of the biggest producers of crops like maize, rice and banana. File:El Tingo.jpg, The Utcubamba River with the village El Tingo in the background

References

Rivers of Peru Rivers of Amazonas Region {{Peru-river-stub