Ancash is a region located in northern Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad Region on the north, the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the east, the Lima Region on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz and its largest city and port is Chimbote. The name of the region originates from the Quechua word "anqash", which means blue.
The territory of the coast, high plateaus and Andean punas of the Ancash Region are flat, while the rest of its territory, occupied by the Andes, is very rough. In the west, slopes with strong declivity have been shaped in narrow canyons with abrupt and deserted sides. Also in the Pacific slopes, the Santa River has shaped a wide valley in the punas which is getting narrow each time until cut the Cordillera Negra ("black mountain range") where the majestic Del Pato Canyon has been formed. Most of the Ancash population is concentrated in the Callejón de Huaylas formed by the Blanca and Negra Cordilleras (mountain ranges). Two areas are the most outstanding surfaces in the topography of Ancash: the Cordillera Negra located on the west of the Callejón de Huaylas, which has peaks without glaciers; and the Cordillera Blanca located on the east, which has several peaks covered with snow and ice, such as the Huascarán, which is the highest peak in Peru (6768 m above sea level), and the Alpamayo. Likewise, there are many lagoons that originated from glaciers like Llanganuco and Paron.
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