Huancavelica

Huancavelica, known as Wankawillka in Quechua, is the capital of Peru's Huancavelica Region, at an elevation of about 3,676 meters in the central Andes. Spanish viceroy Francisco de Toledo established the settlement on August 5, 1572, under the name Villa Rica de Oropesa; its historical importance came from nearby mercury deposits used in Spanish colonial silver extraction. The 2017 census recorded a population of 49,570, and indigenous peoples make up a significant share of residents. Huancavelica is counted among the poorest cities in Peru. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/