Lima
Capital and largest city of Peru, political and cultural center.
Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru, as well as a primate city. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The city is considered the political, cultural, financial and commercial center of Peru. Jurisdictionally, the metropolis extends mainly within the province of Lima and in a smaller portion, to the west, within the Constitutional Province of Callao, where the seaport and the Jorge Chávez Airport are located.
- country
- Peru
- original_name
- City of Kings
- current_name_origin
- Spanish pronunciation of native name Limaq
Lore & Background
Lima was named by natives in the agricultural region known by native Peruvians as Limaq. It became the capital and most important city in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru. Around one-third of the national population now lives in its metropolitan area. This name quickly fell into disuse, and Lima became the city's name of choice. According to an early Spanish article, the Lima area was once called Itchyma, after its original inhabitants. However, even before the Inca occupation of the area in the 15th century, a famous oracle in the Rímac Valley had come to be known by visitors as Limaq, which means 'talker' or 'speaker' in the coastal Quechua. This oracle was eventually destroyed by the Spanish and replaced with a church, but the name persisted. Modern scholars speculate that the word 'Lima' originated as the Spanish pronunciation of the native name Limaq. The river that flows through Lima is called Rímac, and many people erroneously assume that this is because its original Inca name is 'Talking River'; however, the original inhabitants of the valley were not Incas.
Reader's Guide
Lima serves as the headquarters of the Andean Community, playing a crucial role in regional diplomacy and trade integration. It also hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meetings three times (2008, 2016, 2024), the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in October 2015, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2014, and the Miss Universe 1982 contest. The territory formed by the valleys of the Rímac, Chillón and Lurín rivers was occupied by pre-Inca settlements, grouped under the Lordship of Ichma. The Maranga culture and the Lima culture established and forged an identity in these territories. During Inca times, the valley of Lima was highly populated and organized into an Inca province called Pachacamac.
Did You Know?
- Lima is the second-most populous city in South America after São Paulo and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world in terms of city proper population.
- The city was originally named 'City of Kings' because its foundation was decided on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany.
- The river Rímac is often mistakenly thought to mean 'Talking River' in Inca Quechua, but the original inhabitants of the valley were not Incas.
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