La Huayca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Huayca
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| Country | Chile |
| Region | Tarapacá |
| Province | El Tamarugal |
| Time zone | Coordinated Universal Time |
La Huayca is a town in Chile. Its name, wayk'a, comes from the Aymara language and means "place of chili pepper". This town is located in the Tarapacá Region, within the Pozo Almonte area. It is about 27 km from Pica, 16 km from La Tirana, 34 km from Pozo Almonte, and 87 km from Iquique.
About La Huayca
La Huayca is a small town that was founded around the year 1850. It is built mainly with stone houses along a long street, and it has a town square with old trees. Even though it is in the middle of a desert, La Huayca is known for its green, farming areas.
History of the Town
During the time of the Spanish Colony, the area around La Huayca had large forests. Around 1720, people started mining for silver in the region. To power these mines, many trees were cut down for firewood.
Later, many people moved to La Huayca to work in the alfalfa fields. Alfalfa was grown in special areas called canchones. This crop was very important for feeding and fattening thousands of pack mules. These mules were used to carry goods for the nitrate mining operations nearby.
