Lima

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History

Although the history of the city of Lima began with its Spanish foundation in 1535, the territory formed by the valleys of the Rímac, Chillón and Lurín rivers was occupied by pre-Inca settlements, which were grouped under the Lordship of Ichma. The Maranga culture and the Lima culture were the ones that established and forged an identity in these territories. During those times, the sanctuaries of Lati (current Puruchuco) and Pachacámac (the main pilgrimage sanctuary during the time of the Incas) were built, it was built from 3rd century to 15th century by several civilizations, and which was used even until the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived. These cultures were conquered by the Wari Empire during the height of its imperial expansion. It is during this time that the ceremonial center of Cajamarquilla was built. As Wari importance declined, local cultures regained autonomy, highlighting the Chancay culture. Later, in the 15th century, these territories were incorporated into the Inca Empire. From this time we can find a great variety of huacas throughout the city, some of which are under investigation. The most important or well-known huacas are those of Huallamarca, Pucllana, and Mateo Salado, all located in the middle of Lima districts with very high urban growth, so they are surrounded by business and residential buildings; however, that does not prevent its perfect state of conservation. During the time of the Incas, the valley of Lima was highly populated and organized into an Inca province, or huamani (wamani), called Pachacamac. The colonial Spanish historian Bernabé Cobo mentions that the huamani of Pachacamac was subdivided into three hunu of tributary men, rather than the conventional four hunu. It has also been argued that a fourth hunu may have…

Geography

The urban area covers about . 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 above sea level. Within the city are isolated hills that are not connected to the surrounding hill chains, such as El Agustino, San Cosme, El Pino, La Milla, Muleria and Pro hills. San Cristobal hill in Rímac District, which lies directly north of the downtown area, is the local extreme of an Andean hill outgrowth. Metropolitan Lima covers , of which (31%) comprise the actual city and (69%) the city outskirts. The urban area extends around from north to south and around from west to east. The city center is located inland at the shore of the Rímac River, a vital resource for the city, since it carries what will become drinking water for its inhabitants and fuels the hydroelectric 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 of 43 districts of Lima Province, corresponding to an urban area centered around the historic Cercado de Lima district. The city is the core of the Lima Metro Area, one of the ten largest metro areas in the Americas. Lima is the world's third largest desert city, after Karachi, Pakistan, and Cairo, Egypt. Lima has a mild climate, despite its location in the tropics and in a desert. Lima's proximity to the waters of the Pacific Ocean leads to intense maritime moderation of the temperatures, thereby making the climate much milder than those to be expected for a tropical desert, and thus Lima can be classified as a desert climate (Köppen: BWh) with subtropical…

Most-observed species

• West Peruvian Dove

  Zenaida meloda (Tschudi, 1843) · Aves
  17,573
• Scrub Blackbird

  Dives warczewiczi (Cabanis, 1861) · Aves
  15,176
• Black Vulture

  Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) · Aves
  11,706
• Vermilion Flycatcher

  Pyrocephalus rubinus (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  11,700
• Saffron Finch

  Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,324
• Amazilia Hummingbird

  Amazilis amazilia (R.Lesson & Garnot, 1827) · Aves
  11,319
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  11,014
• Croaking Ground-Dove

  Columbina cruziana (Prévost, 1842) · Aves
  10,571

Most recent

• M 4.6 — 2026-06-06
  33 km WSW of Callao, Peru
• M 4.9 — 2026-02-26
  15 km NNE of San Bartolo, Peru
• M 3.6 — 2026-02-19
  14 km NE of Calango, Peru
• M 5.6 — 2025-06-15
  37 km WSW of Callao, Peru
• M 4.6 — 2025-03-03
  44 km SSW of Santiago de Surco, Peru
• M 4.2 — 2024-11-09
  58 km W of Callao, Peru