Iquitos, city, northeastern Peru, capital of Loreto Department. It is a port on the Amazon River, approximately 100 km (about 60 mi) from the point at which the Marañón River unites with the Ucayali River to form the mainstream of the Amazon. The city is the commercial outlet for the surrounding region, which yields rubber, balata, chicle, nuts, timber, rice, coffee, and tobacco. Cotton gins, sawmills, and distilleries are here. Located about 3700 km (about 2300 mi) upstream from the mouth of the Amazon on the Atlantic Ocean, Iquitos is one of the farthest inland ports of major size in the world. Oceangoing vessels visit regularly. The city is also served by several airlines. Iquitos was founded as a Peruvian settlement in 1863. Population (1998 estimate) 334,013.
