Santa[1]
Province
Desert of Chimbote
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Santa in the Ancash Region
Country	Peru
Region	Ancash
Founded	February 12, 1821
Capital	Chimbote
Government
• Mayor	Roberto Briceño Franco (2019-2022)
Area
• Total	4,004.99 km2 (1,546.34 sq mi)
Population
• Total	435,807
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Website	www.munisanta.gob.pe

The Santa Province is one of twenty provinces of the Ancash Region in Peru.

The province of Santa was created on February 12, 1821. Its capital, Chimbote, that long time ago became the first fishing port of the world, is the most important city of the coastal zone of Ancash.

In 1992 it was the site of a famous massacre of campesinos.

Geography

The city and port of Santa are located in the large, fertile valleys of the Santa and Lacramarca rivers. These valleys have extensive sown plains with cotton, rice, sugar and nutritional products. The city of Santa is the first colonial city of the Ancash coast.

This rich valley is formed by the outlet of the Santa River. The Santa River is born in the lake Quñuqqucha in the Cordillera Blanca (White mountain range). It crosses the Callejón de Huaylas ("Alley of Huaylas") in all its extension. It also cut the Cordillera Negra (Black mountain range) in the imposing Cañón del Pato (Mountain trail of the Duck) and it ends at the plains of Santa, after a distance traveled of 336 kilometers (209 mi).

One of the highest peaks of the province is Quñuq Ranra at 5,822 m (19,101 ft). Other mountains are listed below:^[2]

Political division

Santa is divided into nine districts, which are:^[3]

1. Coishco
2. Santa
3. Chimbote
4. Macate
5. Cáceres del Perú
6. Nuevo Chimbote
7. Nepeña
8. Moro
9. Samanco