Peru & Machu Picchu Great Peru Tours for the Family! Discounts Available. Call Toll Free www.AmazingPeru.com/	Sponsored Links

Cheap flights at eDreams Special deals on flights Limited offers. Reserve online now www.edreams.com

Visiting Miraflores? Official Miraflores Travel Site! Find Great Air and Hotel Deals. www.Kayak.com

Lima

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

Lima, is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao.

Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, as the City of the Kings. It became the most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru and, after the Peruvian War of Independence, the capital of the Republic of Peru. Today around one-third of the Peruvian population lives in its metropolitan area.

Etymology

The first name of the city was City of the Kings (Ciudad de los Reyes) because its foundation was decided on January 6, date of the feast of the Epiphany. However, Lima, the original native name, persisted. It is uncertain where this name originated; it may derive either from the Aymara word lima–limaq, (yellow flower) or from Quechuan rimaq (talking), pronounced 'li-ma: in the ancient local variety. In the oldest Spanish maps of Peru, Lima and Ciudad de los Reyes can be seen together as names of the city. The river that feeds Lima is still called Rimac, Quechua for "Talking river".

History

During the early 16th century, the location of what is now the city of Lima was inhabited by several amerindian groups under the domination of the Inca Empire. In 1532, a group of Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca ruler and took over his empire. Pizarro initially chose the city of Jauja as his capital but found a better site in the valley of the Rímac River. There he founded his new capital on January 18, 1535 as Ciudad de los Reyes. The city gained prestige as it was designated capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and site of a Real Audiencia in 1543. Its first university, Saint Mark University was established in 1551 and its first printing press in 1584. It also became an important religious center, a Roman Catholic diocese was established in 1541 and converted to an archdiocese five years later.

The city flourished during the 17th century as the center of an extensive trade network which extended as far as Europe and the Philippines. However, it also suffered considerable damage from two earthquakes in 1630 and 1687. Another danger was the presence of pirates and privateers in the Pacific Ocean. To protect the city against them, Viceroy Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull built a wall around it between 1684 and 1687. In the 18th century, Lima had to be rebuilt after being almost completely destroyed by an earthquake on October 28, 1746. This natural disaster led to the appearance of an intense devotion for the Lord of the Miracles, which has endured until today.

On July 28, 1821, José de San Martín declared the independence of Peru. After the war, endemic political turmoil and lack of economic resources slowed Lima's recovery. In the mid 19th century, an economic boom sustained on guano exports allowed several improvements to the city. In 1872, the city walls were torn down to make way for the expansion of the city. During the 1879–1883 War of the Pacific, Chilean troops occupied Lima after defeating Peruvian resistance in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores destroying and burning some parts of the city. The city went through a process of urban renewal and expansion from the 1890s up to the 1920s. In the 1940s, the city started a period of rapid growth spurred by immigration from the Andean regions of Peru. Population, estimated at 600,000 in 1940, doubled by 1960 and again by 1980. Growth far outstripped public services development, giving rise to large shanty towns, known as pueblos jóvenes.

Geography

The urban area of Lima 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 meters above mean sea level. Within the city exist isolated hills which are not connected to the surrounding hill chains, such as El Agustino, San Cosme, El Pino, La Milla, Muleria and Pro hills. The San Cristobal hill, which directly faces north of the downtown area, is the local extreme of an Andean hill outgrowth.

Metropolitan Lima has an area of 2672.28 km², of which 825.88 km² (31%) comprise the actual city and 1846.40 km² (69%) the city outskirts. The urban area extends around 60 km from north to south and around 30 km from west to east. The city center is located 15 km inland at the shore of the Rimac river, a vital resource for the city, since it carries what will become drinking water for its inhabitants and fuels the hydroelectrical dams that provide electricity to the area. While no official administrative definition for the city exists, it is usually considered to be composed of the central 30 out of the 43 districts of Lima Province, corresponding to an urban area centered on the historic Cercado de Lima district. The city is the core of the Lima Metropolitan Area, one of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the Americas.

Climate

Lima's climate is quite mild, despite being located in the Tropics. Lima has a subtropical and desert climate, yet the microclimate also makes it very humid. The temperatures vary from mild to warm (neither very cold or hot).The average temperature is 18 °C to 19 °C (60–65 °F). The lowest temperatures vary from 12 °C (50 °F) to around 20 °C (68 °F) and the high average is around 25 °C (78 °F), with 30 °C (86 °F) in the warmest of days.

Relative humidity is very high, and produces brief morning fog from June to December and persistent low clouds from May to November. Sunny, less moist and warm summers follow from December to April and are followed by cloudy, damp and cool winters (June to October). Rainfall is almost unknown. The yearly average of 0.7 cm (0.3in) reported at the airport is the lowest of any large metropolitan area in the world. Inland locations 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,' which really does not apply, occurs during winter when late-night/morning drizzle events (locally called 'garúa','llovizna' or 'camanchacas') 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.

One thing to take into consideration is that because of the coast, hills and valleys, there is no single climate for all of Lima. For example, in winter the Surco area of Lima, which is closer to the coast, will be cool and damp. In contrast, the more elevated next district, La Molina, will be warmer and drier. The Cieneguilla area, about 30 minutes drive to the east of La Molina, provides sunshine and spring-like weather seemingly year round. Lima is described as having micro-climates: while winter is generally winter in all of Lima, a 30 minute drive in any direction can result in a slightly warmer, drier, wetter or colder area depending on the elevation and distance to the coast. The same is true for the other seasons.

Demographics

Lima ranks as the nineteenth most populous city in the world with an estimated population of 7.6 million for the urban area, 7.8 million for the entire province, and 9.2 million for the metropolitan area as of 2005. Its population features a very complex mix of racial and ethnic groups. Traditionally, Mestizos of mixed European (mostly Spanish) and Amerindian descent are the largest contingent. The second group has its origins in Europe, mostly of Spanish descent, but there are significant numbers of Italians, Germans, and Middle Easterners.

The first settlement in what would become Lima was made up of only 117 housing blocks. In 1562, another district was built at the other side of the Rimac River and in 1610, the first stone bridge was built. Lima had, at this point in time, around 1600 inhabitants.

In 1861, the amount of inhabitants surpassed 100,000, and by 1927 this amount was doubled.

During the early twenty century thousands of inmigrants came to the city especially from Europe a significant number of French, italians and germans, many of them had been adpating to the peruvian society. they organized in social clubs, they built their own schools for example The american peruvian school which is located in Miraflores, The French Alliance (Alianza Francesa de Lima)and the hospital Maison de Sante. they also has influenced in part of the peruvian cuisine in the case of italians they founded reataurants called Trattorias they established in the suburbs of Lima especially in Miraflores and San Isidro.

Also a great number of Chinese and Japanese immigrants established themselves in the city, in the Barrios Altos neighborhood near downtown Lima, coming in order to work in farms and domestic services, and built a street called Calle Capon which is full of Chinese food restaurants called Chifas. Today there are two Chinese newspapers in the city, and approximately 10% of the Peruvian population is Chinese.

The 50’s saw the exponential increase of the city inhabitants, most of them Andean immigrants and their descendants, who settled in the northern and southern outskirts. The political and economic instability in Peru during the latter half of the twentieth century created unprecedented poverty and violence in the towns of the countryside or Andean highlands, forcing hundreds of thousands of peasants of full-blooded Amerindian descent to migrate to Lima — thus greatly augmenting Lima's population. In the 70’s, the lacking transportation facilities for the newcomers who had to travel for hours on end to reach the city center became a problem, and it was decided that Lima should not expand any further.

Unlike other ethnic groups in Lima who speak only Spanish, most of the peasant population that migrated to Lima speaks primarily Quechua or Aymara, rather than Spanish. While a number of Amerindians eventually attain middle class status, others still live in shantytowns, known locally as pueblos jóvenes (young towns). These areas often lack such basic services as electricity and running water. Afro-Peruvians, initially brought to the region as slaves, are yet another part of the city's ethnic quilt, and Asians, an even smaller one.

Economy

Lima is the industrial and financial center of Peru. It concentrates more than two thirds of its industrial production and most of its tertiary sector, and is home to many national companies.

The Metropolitan area, with around 7000 factories, spearheads the industrial development of the country, thanks to the quantity and quality of the available workforce, cheap infrastructure and the mostly developed routes and highways in the city. The most relevant industrial sectors are textiles, clothing and food. Chemicals, fish, leather and oil derivatives are also manufactured and/or processed there. Unlike most other metropolitan areas, its financial district is not located downtown, but in the upscale district of San Isidro.

The Callao seaport is one of the main fishing and commerce ports in South America, with 75% of the country's imports and exports using it as their entry/departure point. The main export goods leaving the country through Callao are oil, steel, silver, zinc, cotton, sugar and coffee.

In 2004, Lima's GDP represented 45% of the country's GDP (5% more than the previous year). The GDP per capita was also higher in Lima (3525 dollars) than in the rest of the country (2625 dollars). Most of the foreign companies operating in the country have settled in Lima, which has led to the previously mentioned concentration of economic and financial activity on the city.

Districts

Lima is made up of thirty densely-populated districts, each headed by a local mayor and the Mayor of Lima, whose authority extends to these and the thirteen outer districts of the Lima province.

The city's historic centre is located in the Cercado de Lima district, locally known as Lima district or "Centro" ("Downtown"), and it is home to most of the vestiges of Lima's colonial past, the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Gobierno) and the metropolitan municipal council (Consejo municipal metropolitano de Lima).

The upscale San Isidro district is the city's financial center, there have been living peple of recognized social life like politicians, councelors. Other upscale districts are Miraflores, with its expensive hotels and restaurants, it is the neighborhood with more parks and green areas in the south of Lima.La Molina and Santiago de Surco, home to the American Embassy and the exclusive Club Polo Lima, are the wealthiests districts in Lima.

The most densely-populated districts of Lima lie in the northern and southern ends of the city (Spanish: Cono Norte and Cono Sur, respectively), and they are mostly composed of Andean immigrants who arrived during the mid and late twentieth century looking for better living standards and economic opportunities, or as refugees of the country's internal conflict, creating in the process slums known as pueblos jóvenes (young towns)

Barranco is the city's bohemian district, populated by many Peruvian writers and intellectuals.

Education

The city has the largest concentration of higher-education institutions in the country (28 universities) and schools with world-wide recognition. The National University of San Marcos, founded on May 12 1551 during Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. Other public universities also play key roles in teaching and research, such as the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, among others. The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, established in 1917, is the oldest private university. Other private institutions that are located in the city are Universidad de Lima, Universidad Científica del Sur, Universidad San Martín de Porres, Universidad del Pacifico, Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas and Universidad Ricardo Palma.

Transportation

Lima is serviced by air through Jorge Chávez International Airport, Peru's main hub for both national and international air traffic.

Private buses, commonly known as micros or combis, are ubiquitous and very inexpensive but their routes are confusing especially to foreigners. Combis are often crowded and poorly maintained. 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.

To improve the quality of taxis running in Lima, a new law has been promulgated forbidding the import 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.

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

Lima has a rapid transit rail system in development called the Lima Metro; however, the project has been paralyzed since the 1980s, due to the economic crisis that Peru suffered more than 20 years ago. Nonetheless, in an agreement signed by Mayor Luis Castañeda and the former President Alejandro Toledo on February 17, 2005, it was concluded that the State would provide funding for finishing the Lima Metro. At the moment, a convocatoria (expression of interest) has been launched by government to give in concession what is left to be built of Line 1. The enterprise that would own the rights to build Line 1 will be announced on February, 2008. This line should be ready and working by 2009. The current project includes an above-ground mass-transit system which will link the downtown area with the financial district, San Isidro, and the southern suburbs.

Culture

The Historic centre of Lima was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due to its large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish colonial era. In particular, the Plaza Mayor, with the 16th century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular tourist attractions. Like many other world capitals, Lima is home to the most prestigious Peruvian museums: including the National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology, and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district; and the Museum of the Nation.

Many small beaches, which are heavily visited during the summer months, are located along 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. And Lima's wealthy families usually go during summer to the highly exclusive beaches of Asia 97 kilometers south of Lima. 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.

The 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, lounging and spending weekends in hotels and country restaurants.

Lima has a varied culinary tradition, which fuses Andean and Spanish culinary traditions, as well as some African, Asian (mainly Chinese and Japanese), French, Italian and Muslim cuisine. The city is rapidly becoming world-famous for its seafood and unique vegetables, Creole, Peruvian–Chinese (called chifa) and fusion cuisine. You may try them all across the countless Lima Restaurants.

Sister cities

List of sister cities, designated by Sister Cities International:

References

External links

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 19:30:43 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation