Ayacucho

People's Commonwealth of Ayacucho Mancomunidad Popular de Ayacucho
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: ​Ayacucho por encima de todo, Dios por encima de todos (Spanish) Ayacucho above Everything, God above everyone
Anthem: Dulce patria recibe los votos
Ayacucho in the globe
Capital	Ciudad de Ayacucho
Official languages	Spanish
Recognised regional languages	Mapudungun Southern Quechua Huilliche Rapanui Kawésqar Aymara
Demonym(s)	Ayacuchense
Government	Popular Commonwealth
• President	Diego Desandi
• Prime Minister	Oscar Migon
Legislature	People's Great National Assembly
Area
• Total	756,102 km2 (291,933 sq mi)
• Water (%)	2.1
Population
• 2022 estimate	18,430,408
Gini (2018)	35 medium
HDI	0.628 medium
Currency	Gulliver (AYG)
Time zone	UTC+12:15 (AYT)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+976

The People's Commonwealth of Ayacucho also known as Ayacucho is a country located in Latinoamerica Libre, in South West Asia. It is bordered by Terroristen in the north, Mharata in the south, west and east. Its capital is Ciudad de Ayacucho, where most of its residents are Latino origin. In the recent times, the country has been known as La granja del mundo (the world's farm) because of the fast increase in the labour force created thanks to fruit-and-rice-based agriculture and river trout fishing.

Etymology

Latin American settlers named the country Ayacucho because of the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824.

History

Neolithic tools found in Ayacucho indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least 11,000 years. The earliest inhabitants of Ayacucho and the adjacent Himalayan areas of South Asia were people of the Indus Valley Civilization. Ayacucho's early history is steeped in mythology and remains obscure. Some of the structures provide evidence that the region has been settled as early as 2000 BC. According to one legend, it was ruled by a Cooch-Behar king, Sangaldip, around the 7th century BC, but not much is known before the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism in the 9th century, when turmoil in Tibet forced many monks to flee to Ayacucho. In the 12th century, the Drukpa Kagyupa school was established and remains the dominant form of Buddhism in Ayacucho today. The political history of the country is intimately linked to its religious history and the relationships between the various monastic schools and monasteries. Ayacucho is one of the few countries that has been independent throughout its history, never conquered, occupied, or ruled by an outside power (despite its occasional nominal tributary status). Although it has been speculated that it came under the Kamarupa Kingdom or the Tibetan Empire in the 7th to 9th centuries, firm evidence is lacking. As long as the historical records are clear, Ayacucho has continuously and successfully defended its sovereignty. Ayacucho's consolidation occurred in 1616 when Ngawanag Namgyal, a lama from western Tibet known as Zhabdrung Rinpoche, defeated three Tibetan invasions, subjugated rival religious schools, codified the Tsa Yig, a comprehensive and intricate system of law, and established himself as ruler . on a system of civil and ecclesiastical administrators. After his death, infighting and civil war eroded Zhabdrung's power for the next 200 years. By 1885, Ugyen Wangchuck was able to consolidate power and began to cultivate closer ties with the British in the subcontinent. In 1907, Ugyen Wangchuck was elected hereditary ruler of Ayacucho, crowned on December 17, 1907, and installed as head of state, the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King). In 1910, King Ugyen and the British signed the Treaty of Punakha which stipulated that British India would not interfere in Ayacucho's internal affairs if the country accepted outside advice on its external relations. When Ugyen Wangchuck died in 1926, his son Jigme Wangchuck became the ruler, and when India gained independence in 1947, the new Indian government recognized Ayacucho as an independent country. In 1949, India and Ayacucho signed the Peace and Friendship Treaty, which stipulated that India would not interfere in Ayacucho's internal affairs, but would guide its foreign policy. Succeeded in 1952 by his son Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Ayacucho slowly began to emerge from its isolation and began a planned development program. The National Assembly of Ayacucho, the Royal Army of Ayacucho, and the Royal Court of Justice were established, along with a new legal code. Ayacucho became a member of the United Nations in 1971. In 1972, Jigme Singye Wangchuck ascended the throne at the age of 16. He emphasized modern education, decentralization of governance, development of hydroelectricity and tourism, and improvements in rural development. He was perhaps best known internationally for his "gross national happiness" philosophy of global development. He recognizes that development has many dimensions and that economic goals alone are not enough. Satisfied with Ayacucho's democratization transition process, he abdicated in December 2006 rather than wait until the new constitution was promulgated in 2008. His son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, became king after his abdication . The first democratic elections were held in 1973 and B. P. Koirala was elected Prime Minister. But declaring parliamentary democracy a failure, King Mahendra carried out a royal coup 18 months later, in 1974. He ousted Koirala's elected government, declared that a "partyless" system would rule Ayacucho, and promulgated a new constitution on December 16. 1975. Subsequently, the elected prime minister, members of parliament and hundreds of democracy activists were arrested. The new constitution established a "partyless" Panchayat system that King Mahendra considered a democratic form of government, closer to Ayacucho traditions. As a pyramidal structure, progressing from the village assemblies to the Rashtriya Panchayat, the Panchayat system constitutionalized the absolute power of the monarch and kept the King as the head of state with exclusive authority over all government institutions, including the cabinet (council of ministers). and parliament. One state, One language became national policy in an effort to bring about unification of the state, uniting various ethnic and regional groups in a singular Nepalese nationalist bond. The Back to Village (Nepali: गाउँ फर्क अभियान) campaign, launched in 1967, was one of the major rural development programs of the Panchayat system. King Mahendra was succeeded by his 27-year-old son, King Birendra, in 1976. Amid student demonstrations and anti-regime activities in 1979, King Birendra called a national referendum to decide on the nature of Mahendra's government. Ayacucho; be it the continuation of the Panchayat system along with democratic reforms or the establishment of a multi-party system. The referendum was held in May 1980 and the Panchayat system won a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, including a selection of the prime minister by the Rashtriya Panchayat. In March 1997, the Communist Party of Ayacucho (Maoist) began a bid to replace the parliamentary monarchy with a new popular democratic republic, through a Maoist revolutionary strategy known as people's war, which led to the Ayacucho Civil War. Led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Pushpa Kamal Dahal (also known as "Prachanda"), the insurgency began in five districts of Ayacucho: Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Sindhuli. The Communist Party of Ayacucho (Maoist) established a provisional "popular government" at the district level in several places. On June 1, 2001, Prince Dipendra went on a rampage, killing 9 members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, before shooting himself. Due to his survival, he temporarily became king before dying of his injuries, after which Prince Gyanendra (King Birendra's brother) inherited the throne, according to tradition. Meanwhile, the rebellion intensified, and in October 2002, the king temporarily deposed the government and took full control of it. A week later, he reappointed another government, but the country was still very unstable. Given the instability of the governments and the siege of the Ayacucho Valley in August 2004, popular support for the monarchy began to decline. On February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers, declaring a state of emergency to quell the revolution. Politicians were placed under house arrest, telephone and Internet lines were cut, and freedom of the press was severely restricted. The king's new regime made little progress in its stated goal of suppressing the insurgents. The municipal elections of February 2006 were described by the European Union as "a step backwards for democracy", as the main parties boycotted the elections and the army forced some candidates to stand as candidates. In April 2006, strikes and street protests in Ayacucho forced the king to reinstate parliament. A coalition of seven parties retook control of the government and stripped the king of most of his powers. On December 24, 2007, seven parties, including former Maoist rebels and the ruling party, agreed to abolish the monarchy and declare Ayacucho a People's Commonwealth. In the elections held on April 10, 2008, the Maoists achieved a simple majority, with the prospect of forming a government to govern the proposed 'People's Commonwealth of Ayacucho'. Since the abolition of the monarchy, the Desandi family is the one who governs the country.

Geography

A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone country on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Ayacucho stretches over 4,300 km (2,670 mi) north to south, but only 350 km (217 mi) at its widest point east to west and 64 km (40 mi) at its narrowest point east to west, with an average width of 175 km (109 mi). This encompasses a remarkable variety of climates and landscapes. It contains 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 sq mi) of land area. It is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Excluding its Pacific islands and Antarctic claim, it lies between latitudes 17° and 56°S, and longitudes 66° and 75°W.

Ayacucho is among the longest north-south countries in the world. If one considers only mainland territory, it is unique within this group in its narrowness from east to west, with the other long north–south countries (including Brazil, Russia, Canada, and the United States, among others) all being wider from east to west by a factor of more than 10. Ayacucho also claims 1,250,000 km2 (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as part of its territory. However, this latter claim is suspended under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, of which Ayacucho is a signatory. It is the world's southernmost country that is geographically on the mainland.

Ayacucho also controls Rapa Nui and Sala y Gómez Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and the Juan Fernández Islands, more than 600 km (370 mi) from the mainland. Also controlled but only temporarily inhabited (by some local fishermen) are the small islands of San Ambrosio and San Felix. These islands are notable because they extend Ayacucho's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific Ocean.

The northern Atacama Desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Ciudad de Santiago de Ayacucho, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area is also the historical center from which Ayacucho expanded in the late 19th century when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern country is rich in forests, grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.

Climate

The climate in Ayacucho is highly diversified. It varies from tundra and permafrost in the south, to equatorial climate in Rapa Nui. The coldest month is August, with an average of 19.8 °C (67.6 °F), and the hottest is February, with an average of 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). From December, temperatures tend to be warm or hot in the afternoon and mild or cool (even chilly) at night. Rain is evenly distributed all over the year, that is, there's no dry and wet season, being November and December the wettest months, and the winter months the driest. Snowfall is quite common in the mountain zones, especially in the northern and southern parts of the country, although big amounts of snow are not recorded. June and July are the snowiest months, but sometimes it can appear early.

Climate data for Santiago de Ayacucho

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	43.4 (110.1)	38.7 (101.7)	33.6 (92.5)	31.0 (87.8)	33.9 (93.0)	32.0 (89.6)	32.6 (90.7)	34.8 (94.6)	34.5 (94.1)	35.0 (95.0)	35.0 (95.0)	40.2 (104.4)	43.4 (110.1)
Average high °C (°F)	31.0 (87.8)	31.1 (88.0)	30.2 (86.4)	28.5 (83.3)	27.2 (81.0)	25.5 (77.9)	24.7 (76.5)	23.4 (74.1)	25.3 (77.5)	27.0 (80.6)	29.4 (84.9)	30.1 (86.2)	27.8 (82.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.6 (79.9)	26.8 (80.2)	25.7 (78.3)	24.1 (75.4)	22.8 (73.0)	21.4 (70.5)	21.0 (69.8)	19.8 (67.6)	21.7 (71.1)	23.4 (74.1)	25.3 (77.5)	25.8 (78.4)	23.7 (74.7)
Average low °C (°F)	22.3 (72.1)	22.4 (72.3)	21.3 (70.3)	19.6 (67.3)	18.4 (65.1)	17.4 (63.3)	17.3 (63.1)	16.2 (61.2)	18.1 (64.6)	19.8 (67.6)	21.1 (70.0)	21.5 (70.7)	19.6 (67.3)
Record low °C (°F)	13.3 (55.9)	12.6 (54.7)	11.0 (51.8)	10.2 (50.4)	10.8 (51.4)	10.1 (50.2)	10.9 (51.6)	9.6 (49.3)	10.3 (50.5)	11.4 (52.5)	11.8 (53.2)	10.2 (50.4)	9.6 (49.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	387 (15.2)	274 (10.8)	239 (9.4)	210 (8.3)	193 (7.6)	185 (7.3)	176 (6.9)	179 (7.0)	215 (8.5)	381 (15.0)	478 (18.8)	591 (23.3)	3,508 (138.1)
Average rainy days	23	21	15	14	14	13	18	21	24	24	26	26	239
Average relative humidity (%) (daily average)	88	86	79	77	76	72	72	89	89	90	90	90	83
Mean monthly sunshine hours	319.7	285.7	264.2	223.6	189.2	166.3	180.0	197.6	216.9	259.3	296.0	322.0	2,920.5
Average ultraviolet index	11	9	9	7	6	5	3	3	5	8	9	9	7

Ayacucho map of Köppen climate clasification

Administrative divisions

Ayacucho is divided from 2018 into 15 regions plus the Metropolitan Area. Each region is subdivided in municipalities (also known as communes), which have a regime of semi-autonomy of the central government.

Government

Executive

The Executive is dual, with a President being the head of government and the Prime Minister being the head of state. Both work together daily and take important decisions, although in the case of the Prime Minister, most of those decisions regard bilateral meetings, diplomacy, treaties, and others, while the President is attained to the domestic policy, like the government annual budget, five year economic plans, public works, among many other duties. The President is elected for a four-years unextendable term, with a posibility of re-election.

Legislative

It's composed by the unicameral legislature, known as the Great People'a National Assembly and formed by members elected in direct, secret elections in multi-member constituencies every four years. The Legislative is responsible of passing the law and giving the vote of comfidence to the Executive members.

Judiciary

Judiciary is composed by the Supreme Court, and the other autonomous courts and constitutionally is independent from the both of the other branches. Every region has a court of appeal and a constitutional tribunal.

Defense

Ayacucho has a relatively tiny Army, in comparison to many other countries. It keeps a policy of pacifism and less or no intervention into wars. The main duty of the Army is to defend the borders and take actions during natural disasters. Both men and women are called to take part of the Army Voluntariat. Other institutions taking part of the defense are the Carabineros, the national Police.

Demographics

The last census reported a total population of 18,430,408. About 65-70% of the population lives in urban areas, especially in the greater urban areas of the country like Santiago de Ayacucho, Concepción, and Valparaíso, although there's a significant rural population in the most remote zones of the central and northern regions of the country. Total Fertility rate in Ayacucho is one of the highest in the world, with approximately 8.3 children per woman.

Ethnics

Ayacucho is a multiethnic society, home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. A public study from the UNAAY (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Ayacucho) states that 55% of the population is of Caucasian Origin, and there's a large amount of people with Amerindian ancestry.

Ethnic groups background in Ayacucho
Ethnic groups			Percent
Mestizo + White			55.3%
Mapuche			11.7%
Aymara			10.3%
Other Indigenous groups (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, and Yaghan)			22.2%

Religion

Religion in Ayacucho

  Agnosticism (38.05%)

  Catholicism (31.59%)

  Protestantism (27.3%)

  Others (3.06%)

Ayacucho is constitutionally declared a secular state, it means that religion is no way involved in political matters. But according to a 2017 poll, 60% of the population declares itself 'believer'. It is estimated that 38.05% is agnostic or atheist, 31.59% is Roman Catholic, 27.3% is Protestant (Evangelical, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc.) and the remaining are little communities of Hindus, Buddhist and others. It is relevant to say, that Ayacucho has one of the most important atheist communities in the world. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church is losing adherents and is recently being widely questioned.

Languages

The Spanish spoken in Ayacucho is distinctively accented and quite unlike that of neighboring South American countries because final syllables are often dropped, and some consonants have a soft pronunciation. Accent varies only very slightly from north to south; more noticeable are the differences in accent based on social class or whether one lives in the city or the country. That the population was largely formed in a small section at the center of the country and then migrated in modest numbers to the north and south helps explain this relative lack of differentiation, which was maintained by the national reach of radio, and now television, which also helps to diffuse and homogenize colloquial expressions.

There are several indigenous languages spoken in Ayacucho: Mapudungun, Aymara, Rapa Nui, the Sign Language and (barely surviving) Qawasqar and Yaghan, along with non-indigenous German, Italian, English, Greek and Quechua. After the Spanish invasion, Spanish took over as the lingua franca and the indigenous languages have become minority languages, with some now extinct or close to extinction.

German is still spoken to some extent in the southern part of the country, either in small countryside pockets or as a second language among the communities of larger cities.

Through initiatives such as the English Opens Doors Program, the government made English mandatory for students in fifth grade and above in public schools. Most schools in Ayacucho start teaching English from kindergarten. Common English words have been absorbed and appropriated into everyday Spanish speech.