Huancayo

The word Wankayuq is composed of the root wanka ('stone') and the derivative suffix -yuq ('the one who has'), a common morpheme in other toponyms of the Mantaro Valley. In that sense, a translation of the name would be "The Place of the Stone." This theory is accompanied by an oral tradition of the city that pointed out that in the location of the current Huamanmarca square, there existed at the beginning of the population an oval stone of considerable dimensions. Currently there is no such rock or evidence of its location.

The area was originally inhabited by the Huancas. At around 500 BC, they were incorporated into the Wari Empire. Despite efforts to defend its independence, the Huancas were eventually subdued by the Inca leader Pachacutec in 1460 and the region was incorporated into the Inca Empire. It subsequently became a notable stopping point along the Inca Camino Real. It was the Wari culture, whose main center is located in what is now the Department of Ayacucho that first began its expansion northward in the sixth century. The peoples of the central area of the valley were part of what became known as the Wari empire. From that time are the remains of the Huari village of Huarivilca. The fall of this empire was followed by the rise of another culture, the Inca culture. Around 1460, under the rule of the Incan emperor, Pachacuti, the Incas took control of the region and annexed it to their empire. …

Huancayo is located in the Huancayo Province, serving as the province's capital. Situated in the Mantaro Valley at an altitude of 3,271 meters, it belongs to the Quechua region. Depending on delimitation, the agglomeration has a population between 340,000 and 380,000 and is the fifth most populous city of the country. Huancayo is the cultural and commercial center of the whole central Peruvian Andes area. Huancayo Metropolitano is made up of seven districts that form the urban center of the Junín region. This region is considered central Peru's economic and social hub. Huancayo has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb) characterized by mild days, cold nights, and distinct wet and dry seasons. The total annual precipitation is 660 millimeters (26.0 inches). Huancayo receives the majority of its precipitation during the wet season, which spans from November to March. …

The work of the Huancaíno painter Guillermo Guzmán Manzaneda is the most popular and famous in the city. The following is a list of museums in Huancayo: Vicente Rasetto Salesian Museum Catalina Huanca Museum of Archaeology Museum and archaeological remains of Huarihuilca Anthropological Museum of Andean Culture - UNCP Papa a la huancaína is the most famous dish from Huancayo and one of the most famous in the country. It is a yellow cream over fresh cheese or cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, black olives and chili peppers. Another popular dish is cuy, guinea pig, and trout ceviche. Association football (soccer) volleyball, and long-distance running are the most popular sports in Huancayo. Sport Huancayo is the city's largest club, participating in the Peruvian Primera División. …

Huancayo has transportation connections by road and rail. To travel by road, the Carretera Central links Huancayo with La Oroya and Lima, which generally takes seven to eight hours. Multiple bus carriers operate between Lima and Huancayo daily. The Francisco Carle Airport at Jauja offers daily connections to Lima and is located 45 minutes via car from Huancayo. Current airlines include LATAM Peru, Sky Airline Peru and JetSmart Peru. The Ferrocarril Central Andino enables transport by rail. Huancayo was a break-of-gauge from 914 mm (3 ft) gauge to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge for the 147 km (91 mi) extension to Huancavelica. In 2009, this line was being standardised. There was a plan (Metro Wanka) to use the railway line as a local metro; however, this never came to fruition.

According to the National Census of 2007, the three main districts of Huancayo have a total population of about 340,000. However, the continuous settlement area have already reached periurban districts, resulting in the agglomeration's population to be at least 380,000 people. Amerindian and Mestizos (Amerindian and Spanish ancestry) are the two largest ethnic groups in the city. Asian (mainly descendants of Japanese and Chinese immigrants) and European descendants are important minority groups.