Huancayo (Spanish pronunciation: [waŋˈkaʝo]; in Wanka Quechua: Wankayu [wɐŋˈkæjuː], '(place) with a (sacred) rock') is the capital of the Junín Region and Huancayo Province, in the central highlands of Peru, in the Mantaro Valley and is crossed by the Shullcas, Chilca and Mantaro rivers.

It is considered the economic and social center of central Peru The Huanca people largely inhabited the area even before the Inca Empire at around 500 BC.

Upon the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors notably Francisco Pizarro, the Huancas became faithful and staunch allies, participating in the capture of Cusco and the battles against the Incas of Vilcabamba.

[4] 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.

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.

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.

However, despite the resistance of the fortress of Watury, the valley was exploited for its fertility and the area was used as one of the main passes of the Inca trail that headed north towards the cities of Cajamarca and Quito.

After the Spanish colonization in 1534, Huancayo was overshadowed by Jauja, a provisional capital of Peru, until Lima took over that role, as established by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

During his stay, he rewarded many heroes and gave recognition to the patriotic soldiers, who helped achieve the independence of the different South American states.

In the 1980s, Huancayo, like the entire central region of the country, was a center of anti-subversive struggle against the terrorist organizations of the Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.

In the city, there were constant clashes between the National Police of Peru, the Peruvian Armed Forces and these two factions, which even confronted each other.

Starting in 1992, as in the rest of the country, the Peruvian National Police and the Armed Forces managed to dismantle the subversive movement.

Finally, on July 14, 1999, the last leader of the Shining Path, Oscar Ramírez Durand, alias Feliciano, was captured in the town of Cochas, an annex of the district of El Tambo.

Today, in addition to its importance as a center of commerce, Huancayo is known for the crafts and the many festivals of the surrounding towns.

The city's rise began with the construction of a central railway Callao-La Oroya in 1908 and later extended from Lima to Huancayo in the early 1930s.

[5] Huancayo has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb)[6] characterized by mild days, cold nights, and distinct wet and dry seasons.

It is a yellow cream over fresh cheese or cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, black olives and chili peppers.

The Francisco Carle Airport at Jauja offers daily connections to Lima and is located 45 minutes via car from Huancayo.

To travel by road, the Carretera Central links Huancayo with La Oroya and Lima, which generally takes seven to eight hours.