Loreto
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From top to bottom and from left to right: Tree house in the dense vegetation for Ecotourism, Bora community dance, Jaguar at Quistococha Zoo, Iquitos Malecón Tarapacá boulevard, Tourist cruise in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Cumpanamá Petroglyph, Sapi Sapi lagoon, Hot springs in the "Aguas Calientes" reserved area on the outskirts of Contamana, Amazon Ferry, The Marañón and Ucayali rivers meet nominally giving birth to the Amazon River in the district of Nauta. | |
![]() Location of the Department of Loreto in Peru | |
Coordinates: 4°00′S 74°19′W / 4.0°S 74.32°W | |
Country | Peru |
Subdivisions | 8 provinces and 53 districts |
Established | 1853 |
Capital | Iquitos |
Government | |
• Governor | Jorge René Chávez Silvano (2023–2026) |
Area | |
• Total | 368,851.95 km2 (142,414.53 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 220 m (720 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 70 m (230 ft) |
Population (2023) | |
• Total | 1,027,559 |
• Density | 2.8/km2 (7.2/sq mi) |
Demonym | Loretan |
UBIGEO | 16 |
Dialing code | 065 |
ISO 3166 code | PE-LOR |
Principal resources | Rice, cassava, wood, fruit trees, rubber and cebu cattle |
Poverty rate | 24.9% |
Percentage of Peru's GDP | 2.51% |
Website | www.regionloreto.gob.pe |
Loreto (Spanish pronunciation: [loˈɾeto]) is Peru's northernmost department and region. Covering almost one-third of Peru's territory, Loreto is by far the nation's largest department, slightly larger than Japan; it is also one of the most sparsely populated regions due to its remote location in the Amazon Rainforest. Its capital is Iquitos.