Tumbes is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. Due to the region's location near the Equator it has a warm climate, with beaches that are considered among the finest in Peru. Despite its small area, this region has been privileged with a great variety of ecosystems.
The name "Tumbes" originates from either Tumpis, a group of native peoples from the area, the word tumbos, a species of Passiflora that used to abound in the area, or the name of the Tumba cacique, whose son founded and populated the area.
Geography
The Tumbes Region is bordered by the Ecuadorian provinces of El Oro and Loja on the east; Peru's Piura Region on the south; and by the Pacific Ocean on the north and west.
Morphologically, four zones can be defined in the region: the delta of the Tumbes and Zarumilla rivers; an alluvial plain north of the Tumbes River, with dry, low-depth ravines; ancient terraces that have been strongly eroded in the Máncora area; and the Amotape mountain range in the east and south, ending at El Barco Mountain. The delta of the Tumbes river is shallow, and when the tide is low, little sandy keys show up, which get covered by mangrove vegetation. Despite its small area— it is the second-smallest region in Peru— Tumbes has a great variety of ecosystems: mangroves, dry forests, the only coastal tropical forests in Peru, and a rich and warm sea. Around 50% of the region's territory is covered by three protected natural areas: the Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary (which is part of the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes mangroves), the Cerros de Amotape National Park and the Tumbes Reserved Zone.
Climate
Tumbes has a warm and humid tropical climate in the north and center of its region and a dry tropical or tropical savanna climate in the south. Temperatures range from a maximum high of 40°C (over 42° during El Niño events) a minimum low of 18°C and a yearly average of around 27°C. The rainy season, which is more severe during El Niño, is from December to March.
Demographics
Basically composed of a large mestizo population rooted in a mixture between the pre-incan Tumpis and Tallanes tribes, the Spanish, creoles, the African slaves, including mulatos or zambos, and a smaller oriental Cantonese community.
Population
According to the 1993 Census, the Tumbes Region has a population of 155,521 inhabitants, 53% of which (82,426) are male and 47% (73,095) are female.
As of 2005[update], the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática esimates the region's population to be 215,634.
Languages
The majority of the region's residents (98.3%) speak Spanish as their native tongue; other languages spoken are Quechua (0.4%), foreign languages (0.1%), Aymara (60 speakers, 0.0%), and other indigenous languages (0.1%).
