Lima is the capital and largest city in Peru, as well as the capital of the 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 Chillon, Rimac and Lurin 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 mestizo heritage, with nearly one-third of the nation's population living in its metropolitan area.
Lima is located in the Peruvian coastal desert, in the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers. With an area of 2,672.28 km©÷, it is the second largest city in the world located in a desert, after Cairo. Due to the Humboldt Current, Lima has a temperate climate, but is shrouded in fog seven months a year. The temperatures in the summer rarely rise above 30”ĘC, while in winter temperatures almost never fall below 13”ĘC. The sky is nearly always overcast between the months of May and November. Lima gets virtually no rain because of being in a desert area.
The Historic centre of Lima, located in downtown Lima and the Rimac 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 Maria del Mar, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo and Pucusana. Also, the district of Ancon, located north of the city, has a very popular beach resort.