Huari, Peru

Huari is a small town in the Ancash Region in central Peru. It is the capital of the Huari Province. The town is situated on the eastern slope of the Andean mountain range known as the Cordillera Blanca. The economy of the province is primarily agricultural, with at least half the population engaged in subsistence horticulture, raising crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, other native tubers, quinoa, maize, wheat, barley, tomatoes, peppers, and various vegetables. Many residential households also raise a few animals, including goats, sheep, pigs, occasionally cattle, guinea pigs (cuy), rabbits, chickens, and ducks. Much of the trade in this rural area is conducted through barter. Huari is connected to the electric grid, and in 2005, some of the surrounding villages were just beginning to be connected to the grid.