What is the capital of Peru?

Answer 1

Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of Lima Province. It is the cultural, industrial, financial, and transport hub of the country. The city is located in an area encompassing the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers. It lies on a desertic coast adjacent to the bay in the Pacific Ocean where its port was built and named Callao.

Founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is also known as the City of Kings. For more than three centuries, Lima was the most important city and the greatest metropolis in South America. More than four centuries have passed since its founding as a Spanish city, and Lima has become an expression of Peru's heritage, with nearly one-third of the nation's population living in its metropolitan area.

While there is no formal administrative definition for the city of Lima, it is generally considered to be comprised of the central 30 out of the 43 districts of Lima province, corresponding roughly to the urban area centered on the historic Cercado de Lima district. The city serves as the core of the Lima Metropolitan Area, one of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the Americas.

The city was founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, naming it Ciudad de los Reyes as the location was decided at Epiphany, the January 6. Lima, its original name, however persisted. It is uncertain where the name originated, but it is thought that it derives from the Aymara word lima-limaq, (yellow flower) or from Quechuan rimaq (talking). In the oldest Spanish maps of Peru, both Lima and Ciudad de los Reyes can be seen together as the names of the city.

Lima became the most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, which encompassed nearly all of Spain's possessions in South America during the colonial era (mid 1500s to early 1800s).

In 1746, many important and monumental buildings were damaged and or destroyed (later repaired) in an earthquake. The City of Kings' cultural patrimony and incomparable, beautiful architecture remained prevalent. Its architectural and political importance in Latin America were equalled only by Mexico City.

In 1996, the Japanese embassy hostage crisis took place in Lima, an affair which received global media attention. It ended on April 22, 1997 when Peruvian Armed Forces commandos stormed the building by carrying out a frontal daytime attack after tunneling underground into the embassy to rescue the seventy-two hostages. One hostage died of medical complications, two soldiers and all fourteen kidnappers were killed in action.

The Lima Metropolis ranks among Latin America's largest and densest urban concentrations, with estimated populations (as of 2005) of 6.9 million for the urban area, 7.4 million for the entire province, and 8.2 million for the metropolitan area[1]. The population of Lima features a very complex mix of racial and ethnic groups. Traditionally, Mestizos, Peruvians of mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent, have been the largest contingent, making up much of the middle class. However, political and economic instability of Peru during the latter half of the twentieth century created unprecedented poverty and violence in the towns of the countryside Andean or highlands, forcing hundreds of thousands of peasants of full-blooded Amerindian descendants to migrate to Lima, thus greatly augmenting the Lima's population. Unlike other ethnic groups that live in Lima and only speak Spanish, most of the peasant population that migrated to Lima speak primarily Quechua or Aymara and broken Spanish, rather than Spanish. While a number of Amerindians eventually attain middle class status, others still live in shantytowns, locally known as pueblos jóvenes (young towns). These areas often lack such basic services as electricity and running water.

Europeans, the economically dominant segment of the population, are mostly of Spanish descent, but there are significant numbers of Italians, Germans and others. Afro-Peruvians, initially brought to the region as slaves, are yet another important part of the city's ethnic quilt. Finally, during the 20th century, Lima also gained signicant Asian communities, particularly of Japanese and Chinese ancestry. The former constitute the largest Japanese concentration in South America after São Paulo.

The city of Lima (urban area) covers about 800 km². It is located on mostly flat terrain in the Peruvian coastal plain, within the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers. The city slopes gently from the shores of the Pacific Ocean into valleys and mountain slopes located as high as 500 mASL. As in the rest of the region, the extreme dryness of the climate means that away from the river valleys and irrigated areas the local terrain is absolutely barren of vegetation. During extreme El Ninos or unusually wet winters, patchy short vegetation may develop in some of the mountains located immediately to the east of the city as part of the coastal "lomas" ecosystem, but these green slopes are not evident, since they may be hidden within the grayish barren landscape.

Climate
Lima's climate can be said to be quite peculiar, as besides the aforementioned dryness, it surprises for its mildness: despite being located in the Tropics and at a near sea-level elevation, temperatures are far from torrid, with maxima ranging from 27°C in February to 18°C in August, with an all-time record high temperature of 32°C (90°F). Corresponding minima are 14°C (58°F) in August and 20°C (68°F) in February, with 8°C (46°F) being the lowest ever recorded. On the other hand, relative humidity is very high, and produces brief morning fog events from December to June and persistent low clouds from May to November. Sunny, moist and warm summers (Dec-Apr) lead to cloudy, damp and cool winters (Jun-Oct). Rainfall is almost unknown. The yearly average of 0.7cm (0.3in) reported at the airport is the lowest of any large metropolitan area in the world. Inland locations within the city receive 1 to 6 cm of rainfall, which accumulates mainly during the winter months. Summer rain occurs in the form of isolated light and brief afternoon or evening events, leftover from afternoon storms that generate over the Andes. The peak of the 'rainy season' however, name which really does not apply, occurs during winter when late-night/morning drizzle events(locally called 'garua', 'llovizna' or 'camanchaca') become frequent. All these climatic phenomena arise from the combination of semi-permanent coastal upwelling and the presence of the cold Humboldt Current just offshore
Districts and neighborhoods
Main article: Districts of Lima
Lima city proper is generally considered to be comprised of the densely-populated, thirty central districts of Lima Province. Each district is headed by a mayor, although the Metropolitan Lima Municipal Council (Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima), led by the mayor of Lima, also has authority in these districts, including the thirteen outer districts of Lima province.

The historical downtown of the city is located in the Lima District, which is locally known as Cercado de Lima. This is where most vestiges of Lima's colonial heyday remain, as well as the Presidential Palace and the Metropolitan Lima Municipal Council.

The neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro are among the wealthiest in the city with most of Lima's upscale hotels and other tourist destinations located in them. The latter district is also an important financial center that is nowadays far more important in Lima's daily business life than the Cercado. The districts of La Molina and Santiago de Surco offer quieter, residential areas.

Barranco, south of Miraflores, is known as a bohemian neighborhood and has earned recognition for its population of writers and intellectuals.

The most populous districts of Lima lie in the north and south ends of the city. Their population is comprised principally of immigrants from other regions of Peru. Many of them are poor people of indigenous origin who arrived during the mid and late twentieth century after being displaced by terrorism, agrarian crises, and general economic frustration. These peasants invaded the vast desert areas and hillsides in the districts of the Cono Norte and Cono Sur areas, populating new slums known as pueblos jóvenes. The majority of the people are poor and live in slums with no electricity and running water.

In recent years, however, these populous districts and the people living in there are becoming wealthier at a slow pace, and the amount of business operations being performed in there has steadily increased. It is common knowledge that if anybody wants to make money, the northern districts are the place to do it.


Education

Universities
The city has the largest concentration of higher-education institutions in the country. The National University of San Marcos, founded on May 12, 1551 during Spanish colonial regime is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas and considered by many Peruvians "La decana" in the sense of "dean of universities" across Peru.

The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú is the oldest private university (established on 1917). Other notable private institutions that are located in the city are Universidad del Pacífico, Universidad de Lima, Cayetano Heredia University

Other state owned universities also play key roles in teaching and research, such as the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal and Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, but the most prestigious University for sciences and engineering careers in the whole country and the hardest to be admitted is the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (National University for Engineering)

These universities are highly especialized for some careers, for instance, for humanities the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, for Law studies the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, for medicine, the Univesidad Nacional Cayetano Heredia, for Business and Economics, the Universidad del Pacifico and for Sciences and Engineering, the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria most known as U.N.I.

Libraries
Founded by José de San Martín, Peru's oldest and most important library, the National Library of Peru is located in downtown Lima. As it has suffered wars and earthquakes throughout history, a new location for the library has been built in the San Borja district, with transfer of the library's holdings beginning in March of 2006. This modernization program aspires to turn the library into one of Latin America's most modern libraries.

Commerce and industry
Lima has substantial textile, paper, paint, and food products industries.

In recent decades, Lima has rapidly expanded and the city has seen much unregulated development. In the last decade, air pollution has risen to alarming levels, as no restrictions are allowed on the age or efficiency of motor vehicles. Leaded petrol is still widely used.

The "Estadio Monumental "U"", located in Lima, is Peru's largest and most modern stadium; it seats eighty-thousand spectators.

Lima has an extensive bus system, which connects all of Lima's main streets and avenues. These buses are commonly known as micros or combis. Although very cheap and convenient (they stop virtually everywhere), they are often poorly mantained and the smaller buses run at excessive speeds.

Taxis vary in quality of service and price. They can be stopped at any street, or private taxi companies can be called to pick up passengers at a certain address.

Numerous inter-urban bus companies offer transportation to other cities in Peru. Quality varies depending on the price, from luxury express buses to uncomfortable and crowded micros.

Nowadays Lima's mayor is working on a new bus system called Metropolitano where all busses will have exclusive lines; it has been told that new busses must be acquired by the companies working in the metropolitan area, this busses will be bought from a Chinese company, the same company that sells busses to Italy. The mayor's hope is to see a new massive transport system in the next few years.


Javier Prado Avenue.To improve the quality of taxis running in Lima, a new law has been promulgated forbidding the importation of used cars; the city of Lima hopes that this law will promote the use of newer cars in the city, reducing vehicle emissions and smog.

An agreement signed by Mayor Luis Castañeda and President Alejandro Toledo on February 17, 2005, provided funding for finishing the Lima Metro, an above-ground mass-transit system which will link the downtown area with the financial district, San Isidro. The project was launched in the late 1980s but left unfinished by former president Alan García.

Lima's main passenger gateway for national and international air travelers is Jorge Chávez International Airport.


Tourist attractions

Government PalaceThe Historic centre of Lima, located in downtown Lima and the Rímac District, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due to the large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era, a small number of which have now been restored. In particular, the monumental Plaza Mayor, with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular with visitors.

Several sections of the Lima City Walls can still be seen. These fine examples of Spanish medieval fortification were used to defend Lima from attacks from pirates and corsairs.

The city also has a number of fine museums, notably the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district.

Many small beaches, which are heavily visited during the summer months, are located by the southern Pan-American Highway. The most well-known ones are located in the districts of Santa María del Mar, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo and Pucusana. Also, the district of Ancón, located north of the city, has a very popular beach resort.

Numerous restaurants, clubs and hotels have been opened in these places to serve the many beachgoers. The beaches in Lima itself are not suitable for swimming because the city's sewage is dumped raw into the ocean.


Torre Tagle Palace, built in 1735The suburban district of Cieneguilla and the town of Chosica (in the Lurigancho District) provide attractive green landscapes at a short distance from the city. Because of their elevation (over 500 meters), the sun shines in these areas even during winter and hence they are visited by residents of Lima to escape from the winter fog.

Recently, the Palomino Islands near the port of Callao have attracted visitors due to a population of sea lions.

Situated in Monterrico, the Gold Museum, together with the even more interesting textile museum. Here can be seen almost perfectly preserved thousand year old garments and feathered capes recovered from the waterless deserts of Western Peru. Also in the same building, an arms museum with a huge range of antique Spanish firearms, among muskets and arquebuses.


Sites of interest

Historical Center of Lima
Beaches and Waterfront
Ancon
Barranquito
Aguadulce
Los Pavos
Las Cascadas
Las Sombrillas
Costa Linda
Museums
Gold Museum
Lima Wall Museum
Museum of the Nation (Museo de la Nación)
Japanese Inmigration Museum
National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru (Museo Nacional del Arqueología, Antropología, e Historia del Perú)
Natural History Museum, Lima (Museo de Historia Natural)
Arts & Peruvian Popular Traditions Museum
Miguel Grau House-Museum
Ricardo Palma House-Museum
Morro de Arica soldiers Museum
Italian Arts Museum
Colonial Buildings
Justice Palace
Rimac Building
Governor's House
Lima's Cathedral
Saint Lorenzo Church
Saint Rose of Lima Church
Congress of the Republic
Lima's Mayor House
Segura Theater
Italian Arts Museum
Lima's Art Center
Lima's City Walls Park
Torre Tagle Palace
Acho Plaza
Saint Martin Plaza
National Culture Institute
University Park
Desamparados Train Station
Rosa Nautica Restaurant
Perez Aranibar Children House
Naval Heroes Park
Islands
San Lorenzo Island
Amusement Parks
Lima's Zoo, San Miguel
Kart Circuit, Magdalena del Mar
Daytona Park, Surco
Sports Center, Miraflores
Apolo (Ice-Skating Park), San Isidro
Lima's Hippodrome, Surco
La Granja Villa, Chorrillos
Sports Center, Barranco
Zoos
Parque de las Leyendas
Centro Ecologico Recreacional de Huachipa

Notable people born in Lima

Artists

Felipe Pinglo Alva, father of Peruvian Musica criolla
Susana Baca, Grammy award- winner folk singer
Chabuca Granda, singer and composer
Eva Ayllon

Historical

Saint Rose of Lima (April 20, 1586-August 30, 1617) Patron Saint of America, first Roman Catholic saint born in the Americas.
Saint Martin of Porras
Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo, Archbishop of Lima

Politicians

Javier Valle Riestra, lawyer and politician
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, first Latin American to become Secretary-General of the UN.

Sportspeople

Teófilo Cubillas, football (soccer) player
Jefferson Farfán, football (soccer) player
Luis Horna, tennis player
Sofia Mulanovich, world champion surfer
Claudio Pizarro, football (soccer) player
Nolberto Solano, football (soccer) player
José Del Solar, football (soccer) player
Cecilia Tait, volleyball player
Jaime Yzaga, tennis player
Ysrael Zúñiga, football (soccer) player

Journalists

Magaly Medina, gossip and celebrity journalist.

Writers

Mario Vargas Llosa, the most renowned peruvian writer.
Alfredo Bryce Echenique, writer (novels, memories, and short stories), among which the renowned A world for Julius (in Spanish: "Un Mundo para Julius".)
Julio Ramón Ribeyro, writer best known for his short stories, and awared in 1994 by the Juan Rulfo prize.
Ricardo Palma, writer of "Tradiciones Peruanas"
Jaime Bayly, writer, journalist, and media personality

Contemporary Musicians
Christian Meier, pop singer
Pedro Suarez Vertiz, pop singer
Líbido, indie rock band
Mar de Copas, indie rock band
Gian Marco, pop singer and composer
Arena Hash, pop band
Campo de Almas, indie pop band
Fragil, progressive rock band
TK, pop band


Do I deserve the 10? :)))

Answer 2

Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of Lima Province. It is the cultural, industrial, financial, and transport hub of the country. The city is located in an area encompassing the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers. It lies on a desertic coast adjacent to the bay in the Pacific Ocean where its port was built and named Callao.

Founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is also known as the City of Kings. For more than three centuries, Lima was the most important city and the greatest metropolis in South America. More than four centuries have passed since its founding as a Spanish city, and Lima has become an expression of Peru's heritage, with nearly one-third of the nation's population living in its metropolitan area.

While there is no formal administrative definition for the city of Lima, it is generally considered to be comprised of the central 30 out of the 43 districts of Lima province, corresponding roughly to the urban area centered on the historic Cercado de Lima district. The city serves as the core of the Lima Metropolitan Area, one of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the Americas

Answer 3

Lima is the capital of peru

Answer 4

Lima City, in the Lima estate or county.
Trust me... I'm Peruvian! And I'm really happy to hear someone's interest on Peru!

Answer 5

Lima, Lima - Peru
It's like the city of Lima is located in the province of Lima, so Lima city is the real capital, don't get confused with the Province or the district of Lima..

Answer 6

Lima. Also known as "The city of the kings", was founded on the 18th of January, 1535, on the banks borders of the river Rímac, by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro, choosen for its good strategic and geographic location. The word "Lima", comes from "rímac" a Quechua word that means talkative river

Answer 7

Be treated to an unique San Francisco knowledge and learn why you need to visit this town with hotelbye . In San Francisco you can go to the famous Golden Gate Bridge how was once called "the bridge that couldn't be built" and how is today one the seven wonders of the modern world. That wonderful link is San Francisco's many popular landmark. In San Francisco you can also visit the Lombard Street. Usually named the “crookedest” street in the world, this lovely street on Russian Hill characteristics limited turns, fresh gardens and beautiful views of the bay and Alcatraz. San Francisco is definitely a town that'll amaze you and wherever you may have the right holyday.

Answer 8

Lima

Answer 9

Lima

Answer 10

Lima

Answer 11

Lima