Surface Area
Population
Lima Architecture
Geography
Climate
Gastronomy
Economy
Language
Religion
Museums of Lima

SURFACE AREA

Metropolitan Lima has an area of 2,672.28 km2 (1,031.77 sq mi), of which 825.88 km2 (318.87 sq mi) (31%) comprise the actual city and 1,846.40 km2 (712.90 sq mi) (69%) the city outskirts. The urban area extends around 60 km (37 mi) from north to south and around 30 km (19 mi) from west to east.

 

POPULATION

With a municipal population of 7,605,743, and 8,472,935 for the metropolitan area and a population density of 3,008.8 inhabitants per square kilometer (7,793 /sq mi) as of 2007. Lima ranks as the 27th most populous 'agglomeration' in the world. Its population features a very complex mix of racial and ethnic groups. Mestizos of mixed Amerindian and European (mostly Spanish) ancestry are the largest ethnic group. European Peruvians are the second largest group. Many are of Spanish or Italian descent; many others are of French, British, German, or Croatian descent. The third largest groups are the Amerindian descent (mostly Aymara and Quechua). Afro-Peruvians, whose African ancestors were initially brought to the region as slaves, are yet another part of the city's ethnic diversity

 

LIMA ARCHITECTURE

Lima's architecture is characterized by a mix in styles as reflected from shifts between trends throughout various time periods of the city's history. Examples of early colonial architecture include such structures as the Monastery of San Francisco, the Cathedral of Lima and the Torre Tagle Palace. These buildings are-were generally influenced by the Spanish baroque, Spanish Neoclassicism, and Spanish Colonial styles. After independence, a gradual shift towards the neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles took place. Many of these constructions were greatly influenced by French architectural styles. Many government buildings as well as major cultural institutions were contracted in this architectural time period. During the 1960s, construction utilizing the brutalist style began appearing in Lima due to the military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado. Examples of this architecture include the Museum of the Nation or Museo de la Nación and the Ministry of Defense. The 21st century has seen the appearance of glass skyscrapers, particularly around the city's financial district. Also there are many new architectural and real estate projects.

 

GEOGRAPHY

The urban area of Lima covers about 800 km2 (310 sq miles). 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 500m (1,600ft) above mean sea level. Within the city exists 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 in the Rimac district, which faces directly north of the downtown area, is the local extreme of an Andean mountain outgrowth.

 

CLIMATE

Lima's climate is mild and comfortable, despite being located in the tropics and in a desert. It has moderate temperatures, low rainfalls and high humidity due to strong atmospheric stability. Although classified as a subtropical, Lima's proximity to the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean leads to temperatures much cooler than those expected for a subtropical desert, and can be classified as a cool desert climate. Summers are warm, humid and sunny. Daily temperatures oscillate between lows of 18°C (64°F) to 22°C (72°F), and highs of 24°C (75°F) to 29°C (84°F). Skies are generally cloud free, especially during daytime. Occasional coastal fogs during some mornings and high clouds during some afternoons and evenings can be present. Lima summer sunsets are well known for being colorful and beautiful. Winter weather is dramatically different. Gray skies, breezy conditions, high humidity and cool temperatures prevail. Persistent morning drizzle occurs occasionally from June through September, coating the streets with a thin layer of water that generally dries out by the early afternoon. Winter temperatures in Lima do not vary much between day and night. They range from lows of 12°C (54°F) to 16°C (61°F) and highs of 16°C (61°F) to 19°C (66°F).

 

GASTRONOMY

Lima's cuisine is considered to be one of the best in Peru. Lima is known as the Gastronomical Capital of the Americas. As a center of immigration and the center of the Spanish Viceroyalty, Lima has incorporated unique dishes brought from the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and many waves of immigrants: African, European, Chinese, and Japanese. In additional to international immigration, there has been, since the second half of the 20th century, a strong internal flow from rural areas to cities, in particular to Lima. This has strongly influenced Lima's cuisine with the incorporation of the immigrant's ingredients and techniques (for example, the Chinese extensive use of rice or the Japanese approach to preparing raw fish. The genres of restaurants in Lima include Creole food, Chifas (Chinese restaurants), Cebicherias (Seafood restaurants), and Pollerias (Chicken restaurants). Peruvian cuisine, widely represented in Lima, holds various Guinness World Records, for its diversity and quality.

 

ECONOMY

Lima is the industrial and financial center of Peru, home to many national companies. It accounts for more than two thirds of Peru's industrial production and most of its tertiary sector. 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 in Lima. The financial district is located in the district of San Isidro, while much of the industrial activity takes place in the area stretching west of downtown Lima to the airport in El Callao. Lima has the largest exportation industry in South America, and is a regional hub for the operational cargo industry. The Callao seaport is one of the main fishing and commerce ports in South America, with 75% of the country's imports and 25% of its 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.

 

LANGUAGE

Known as Peruvian Coastal Spanish, Lima's Spanish is characterized by the lack of strong innotations as found in many other regions of the Spanish-speaking world. It is heavily influenced by the historical Spanish spoken in Castile. Throughout the colonial era, most of the Spanish colonial nobility based in Lima were originally from Castile. Lima Spanish is also characterized by the lack of voseo, a trait present in the dialects of many other Latin American countries. This is due to the fact that voseo was primarily used by the lower socioeconomic classes of Spain, a social group that did not begin to appear in Lima until the late colonial era. Lima Spanish is distinguished by its relative clarity in comparison to other Latin American dialects.

 

RELIGION

The official religion is Catholicism them of which many religious festivities are held throughout the year. One of the most prominent religious manifestations is the Procession of the Lord of the Miracles or “Señor de los Milagros”, which is considered by many to be one of the most multitudinous faith manifestations in the world.

 

MUSEUMS OF LIMA

Lima is home to the highest concentration of museums of the country, the most notable of which are the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru, Museum of Art of Lima, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of the Nation, The Sala Museo de Oro del Peru at Larcomar, the Museum of Italian Art, and the Museum of Gold, and the Larco Museum. These museums mostly focus on art, pre-Columbian cultures, natural history, science and religion. The Museum of Italian Art is the only museum that exhibits European art in Peru.