Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 on the Catholic holiday of Epiphany, when the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus, and was therefore known as Ciudad de los Reyes or City of the Kings. Close to the coast and more accessible to Spain than the Inca capital of Cuzco, which was high in the mountains at 11,200 feet, Lima became the capital of viceregal Peru. The city suffered devastating earthquakes in 1687 and 1746, both of which destroyed much of the city. During the independence period, Lima remained staunchly Royalist, being among the last cities to turn to the Republican cause.
Lima, city, capital of Peru. It is the country’s commercial and industrial centre. Central Lima is located at an elevation of 512 feet (156 metres) on the south bank of the Rímac River, about 8 miles (13 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean port of Callao, and has an area of 27 square miles (70 square km). Its name is a corruption of the Quechua name Rímac, meaning “Talker.”
The city forms a modern oasis, surrounded by the Peruvian coastal desert a short distance west of the Andes.
No comments:
Post a Comment