La Libertad is a
region in northwestern
Peru. It is bordered by the
Lambayeque,
Cajamarca and
Amazonas regions on the north, the
San Martín Region on the east, the
Ancash and
Huánuco regions on the south and the
Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is
Trujillo, which is the nation's third bigest city. The region's main port is
Salaverry , located in Trujillo, which is also one of Peru's largest ports. The name of the region is
Spanish for
Freedom.
La Libertad is the only Peruvian region that reaches all three Peruvian natural regions (coast, Sierra (highlands) and rainforest).
Trujillo, the capital of the La Libertad Region, has a great geographical importance and a good location. It is the point where the Andes are linked to the Pacific Ocean, as a result of the direction the coasts follow. The Andes first are seen from Trujillo, showing a row of low-elevation hills, but from there on the Andean Plateau increases altitude sharply to the East, in the provinces of Otuzco and Santiago de Chuco. These two provinces comprise the Pacific hydrographic watershed, which give rise to the Moche and Virú rivers, to the south, and Chicama River to the north. Pacasmayo Province, located more to the north is a coastal province. Sánchez Carrión Province, to the east, belongs to the Atlantic watershed.