Sama District is one of eleven

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

that make up Tacna Province, located in the

department of Tacna Tacna (; Aymara and Quechua: ''Taqna'') is the southernmost department and region in Peru. The Chilean Army occupied the present-day Tacna Department during the War of the Pacific from 1885 until 1929 when it was reincorporated into Peru. Geo ...

, under the administration of the Regional Government of Tacna, in southern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. In 2017, it had a population of 3,106 inhabitants and a population density of 2.89 per

km² The square kilometre (square kilometer in American spelling; symbol: km2) is a multiple of the square metre, the SI unit of area or surface area. In the SI unit of area (m2), 1 km2 is equal to 1M(m2). 1 km2 is equal to: * 1,000,000 squar ...

. It covers a total area of 1,116 km². From the hierarchical point of view of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, it is part of the Diocese of Tacna and Moquegua which, in turn, belongs to the

Archdiocese of Arequipa The Archdiocese of Arequipa () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Arequipa in Peru.conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

s who returned from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

after accompanying Almagro. In December 1536, a group of them, at the proposal of Diego de Rondón, applied the name in honor of an Asturian town in the parish of Sama, head of the ''ayuntamiento'' of

Langreo Langreo () or Llangréu () ( Asturian) is a municipality and town in northern Spain, in Asturias. It is the 4th largest town of Asturias with 43,000 inhabitants. Langreo is located in the centre of Asturias, approximately south-east of Oviedo. I ...

in the general district of Laviana, in the old Province of Oviedo. However, pre-Hispanic linguistic evidence reveals coincidences in that the valley was called ''Samaraña'' in

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

and ''Samay'' in

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

. Among

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

s and

ethnohistorian Ethnohistory is the study of cultures and indigenous peoples customs by examining historical records as well as other sources of information on their lives and history. It is also the study of the history of various ethnic groups that may or may ...

s there is consensus to establish that the term "Sama" has pre-Hispanic origins. It derives its meaning from the concept of land of rest or rested land, alluding to the first farmers who cleared the land after cycles of rest and fertilization.

History

The origins of the district are purely agricultural, with the ''Camanchacos'' being its first inhabitants, their work was concentrated on planting corn and potatoes, in addition to fishing. When the Incas arrived in Takana, groups of Quechua ''mitimaes'' remained in Sama, who entered into dispute with the original

Aymaras The Aymara or Aimara (, ) people are an Indigenous people in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America. Approximately 2.3 million Aymara live in northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The ancestors of the Aymara lived in the reg ...

. Over time the mitimaes specialized and along with fishing and guano extraction; They grew chili for the

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

on the Quillona farm. The Camino Real passed through the same district. The Incas also built to serve as their main administrative centre in the valley. Before the conquest, the valley had a small population. In 1536, Almagro left Juan de la Flor in the valley, who took possession of what is currently Sama Grande, and Fernando Albarracín Pizarro took possession of Sama Inclán. During the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

, the town was occupied by the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

and administered as the 7th subdelegation of Tacna Department, according to the limits assigned by the Chilean decrees of November 9, 1885 and May 10, 1886. On November 28, 1920, according to Regional Law No. 14, promulgated by Peruvian President Augusto B. Leguía, Sama was elevated to a district, with its first mayor being Mr. Jesús R. Chavera. This law is ratified by Regional Law No. 498.

Chilean administration

Sama was administered as an autonomous commune of

starting on February 1, 1928, through Decree No. 8583 of January 28, which organised its territory. Alongside the communes of Palca—also created by the same decree—and

Tacna Tacna, officially known as San Pedro de Tacna, is a city in southern Peru and the regional capital of the Tacna Region. A very commercially active city, it is located only north of the border with Arica y Parinacota Region from Chile, inland f ...

, it formed the municipal group of the same name between 1928 and 1929, meaning that, unlike most communes, neither town had a proper local government. The Chilean commune of Sama ceased its existence alongside Palca and Tacna as of August 28, 1929, when the territory of the Tacna was returned to Peru in a ceremony held at the home of the prefect Federico Fernandini, in which an agreement was signed between the interim mayor of the Chilean province of Tacna, Gonzalo Robles, and a delegation from Peru headed by Foreign Minister

Pedro José Rada y Gamio Pedro José Rada y Gamio (15 August 1873 – 25 May 1938) was a Peruvian politician in the early 20th century. He served as the President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1921 to 1922. He was the mayor of Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 ...

. At 4 p.m. that day, the Peruvian municipality of Tacna began its functions.

Recent history

In 2000, Sama had a population of 2,406 inhabitants. It currently houses one of the most prominent valleys in the department, the Sama Valley. An important sugar cane and cotton production area, it focuses its activities on the cultivation of

olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

quinoa Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechuan languages, Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae, amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are high in prote ...

, among others. It is also characterized by the breeding of

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

s, and

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

s and is currently considered the "southern cradle of the breeding of the

Peruvian Paso The Peruvian Horse is a breed of light saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the ''paso llano.'' This breed is protected by the Peruvian government through Decree number 25919 of ...

horse."

Geography

The Sama valley is located to the northeast of the city approximately 37 km from

. It is currently divided into two parts, Sama-Inclán and Sama-Las Yaras, which have the following characteristics:

Populated centres

Demographically, the Sama District is divided into the following population centres: * Buenavista * Miraflores * Las Yaras * Cuilona * Valle Bajo * Vilavila * Sama (also known as ''Puerto Grau'' or ''Morro Sama'') * Boca del Río

Authorities

Mayors

* 2023–2026: Richard Santos Calizaya Pimentel, Juntos por Tacna * 2021–2022: Carlos Alberto Vicente Alférez, Banderas Tacneñistas * 2019–2021: Milton John Juárez Vera, Perú Patria Segura * 2015–2018: Wilson Bertolotto Ticona, Movimiento Independiente Regional Fuerza Tacna. * 2011–2014: Milton John Juarez Vera, Contigo Tacna. * 2007–2010: Wilson Bertolotto Ticona, Movimiento Independiente Regional Tacna Unida. * 2003–2006: Wilson Bertolotto Ticona, Alianza Electoral Unidad Nacional. * 1999–2002: Wilson Bertolotto Ticona, Fuerza y Desarrollo.

''Regidores''

* Neptalí Esteban Chire Carpio (Perú Patria Segura) * Fidel Eduardo Vásquez Delgado (Perú Patria Segura) * Wilfredo Villalva Ramos (Perú Patria Segura) * Karen Aliza Vargas Flores (Perú Patria Segura) * Ricardo Paolo Gonzáles Nina (Banderas Tacneñistas) * Nicanor Ronal Sánchez Villegas

References

{{coord, 17.8650, S, 70.5621, W, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:PE, display=title Districts of the Department of Tacna