Situated in Peru's northeastern Andes, Cajamarca is one of the country's 24 administrative departments. The city of Cajamarca is located within the department of Cajamarca. Home to about 50,000 species of plants, the area is rich in ecological diversity and has significant mining potential. It is a region of scenic landscapes, varied crafts, and a rich cultural heritage and folk life.

Yet Cajamarca also is one of Peru's poorest administrative departments. Approximately 70 percent of its 300,000 inhabitants live in rural areas, where more than 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Even in urban areas, the poverty level is close to 40 percent. Infant mortality is nearly one per every 10 live births. More than one-quarter of the region's inhabitants are illiterate, and many of them have limited access to clean water and electricity. Soil erosion and water pollution, caused by activities such as hillside farming and a lack of sewers, are major contributors to poverty in Cajamarca.

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