Tupac Yupanqui entered and subdued the Inca dominion, the province of Moyobamba, known back then by its native name, Muyupampa. In 1539, Spaniard Alonso de Alvarado reached the Mayo River and founded a city he named Santiago de los Valles de Moyobamba, which later became the capital of Maynas. Another important personality was Priest Manuel Sobreviela who, between 1787 and 1790, accomplished traveling across the Huallaga River and subsequently published a map named “Planning for the course of the Huallaga and Ucayali Rivers and for the Pampa del Sacramento”.
On August 19, 1821, Moyobamba was the first Peruvian city in declaring its independence.
The construction of a highway in recent years has increased the exchange of different products, benefitting the economy of this region.
Political division
The region is divided into 10 provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular: provincia), which are composed of 77 districts (distritos, singular: distrito).
The provinces, with their capitals in parenthesis, are:
* Bellavista (Bellavista)
* El Dorado (San José de Sisa)
* Huallaga (Saposoa)
* Lamas (Lamas)
* Mariscal Cáceres (Juanjuí)
* Moyobamba (Moyobamba)
* Picota (Picota)
* Rioja (Rioja)
* San Martín (Tarapoto)
* Tocache (Tocache)
