Huancavelica, the capital, is an important mining centre though reached with some difficulty from Huancayo or Ica. Here above 12,000 feet the production of wool might be expected; there are cotton mills also. =Ayacucho=, a peculiarly shaped Department twice the size of the preceding, runs to a point on the north between the Mantaro and Apurimac Rivers. It has Huancavelica and Ica on the west, Arequipa on the south and southeast, and Apurimac and Cuzco east. This also is mostly highland, with temperate zone agriculture, cattle and sheep, and with varied mineral riches. Ayacucho, the capital, is a considerable and important city, but a long way to go from anywhere. Mining and other industries are engaged in. =Apurimac=, much smaller, has Ayacucho northwest and southwest, a bit of Arequipa south, and Cuzco southeast and northeast. The Department is highland, but lower than at the north, with great grazing ground and forests, with fertile soil raising temperate and sub-tropical products, and with the inevitable minerals. Abancay, the capital, is most accessible from Cuzco or from the port of Chala. It is a small city, of some interest. =Cuzco=, the largest Sierra Department, with a little of Junín has Ayacucho and Apurimac west, Arequipa south, Puno southeast and east, with Madre de Dios, Loreto, and Brazil on the north. The Apurimac River to which the Urubamba is nearly parallel, forms most of its western boundary, both rivers flowing a little west of north. The upper waters of the Purús, and Madre de Dios flow north, south, and east. Stock raising is carried on and there are minerals, but agriculture is the chief industry. Cuzco is famed for the excellence of its cacao, also for its cocoa and coffee; it has large sugar plantations as well. Though with mountainous highlands, it has much territory lower. Cuzco, the capital, world famed since its conquest by Pizarro, is beautifully situated at the head of the side-valley of the Huatanay River. Interesting from its historic associations, its massive ruins, and its picturesque charm, it is also of commercial importance. =Puno=, the last Department of the sierra, has Madre de Dios on the north, Cuzco, Arequipa, and Moquegua west, Chile and Bolivia south, and Bolivia east. The Department, mostly highland, includes the western part of Lake Titicaca. It contains many minerals, and has a large output of gold. The production of wool, including the alpaca and vicuña, is highly important. Potatoes, barley, etc., are grown. Puno, the capital, a centre of mineral and woolen activities, is the head of Peruvian navigation on Lake Titicaca and a meeting place of the two tribes or races, the Quichuas and the Aymarás, the latter, residents of northern Bolivia. The town is an important centre of traffic. THE MONTAÑA REGION