Lima

<font=2>Lima

City coat of arms
Also called: "La Ciudad de los Reyes" ("The City of Kings")
Founded	January 18, 1535
Subdivisions	43 districts
Mayor	Luis Castañeda Lossio
Area	2,664.67 km²
Population  - Total  - Density	8 380 300 (2004 estimate) 3 019/km²
Time zone	UTC/GMT-5
Latitude Longitude	12°2.6′ S 77°1.7′ W
Official website: www.munlima.gob.pe

Lima is the Capital and largest city in Peru. It is the cultural, industrial, financial, and transport Hub of the country. The city is located in a valley fed by the Rímac River, on the country's desert coast and adjacent to the Pacific port of Callao. Founded by Spanish conqueror 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 a symbol of Peru's Mestizo heritage, with nearly one-third of the nation's population living in it. The city covers most of the Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area.

History

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). The city's cultural importance was contested perhaps only by Bogotá, and its architecture and political importance in Latin America were equalled only by Mexico City. In 1746, most of the city was destroyed in an Earthquake.

In 1997, 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 tunneling underground into the embassy to rescue the seventy-two hostages. One hostage died of a heart attack, two soldiers were killed, and all fourteen rebels were slain.

Demographics

Geography and climate

Universities

Industry

Modern Lima

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. Most of the better hotels and other tourist destinations are located in the upscale neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro. These modern and cosmopolitan districts sharply contrast with the shanty towns that cling to hillsides at the north and south ends of Lima. The "Estadio Monumental 'U'", located in Lima, is Peru's largest and most modern Stadium; it seats eighty-thousand spectators.

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 is being built in the San Borja district and is scheduled to be finished in early 2006. This modernization program aspires to turn the library into one of Latin America's most modern libraries.

Transport

• 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.

• 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

The Historic centre of Lima, located in downtown Lima and the Rímac District, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due 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. The suburbs of Chosica and Cieneguilla provide attractive green landscapes at a short distance from the city. Because of their elevation (lesser than 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.

The biggest Peruvian business emporium is Gamarra. Guarded by the Comando Centurion, a group of security officers, 150,000 shoppers per day can browse the hundreds of shops in the area. The stores offer designer clothes at affordable prices. Fashion shows presenting the latest trends are a weekly event.

For the tourist with nerves of steel the colourful "Mercado Central" should not be missed. Don't take anything of value with you, pickpockets abound!

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.

Notable people

• Alberto Fujimori, former president of Peru.

Districts