Peru is a large developing country located in South America. Its total area is 1,285,216 square meters. km In the western part, Peru is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the east lies the border with Brazil, in the north - with Colombia, and on the southwestern side of Peru it borders with Bolivia and Chile.
The largest cities of Peru
Peru is one of the most attractive countries for tourists. The main factor that attracts new visitors here every year is the traces of the Inca civilization. In total, there are 195 provinces and 1833 districts in Peru. Larger division is carried out according to the criteria of the regions, of which there are 25 in Peru. The largest cities of Peru are Lima, which is the capital of the state, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Iquitos, Piura, Chimbote, Cuzco, Pucallpa and others. In accordance with natural conditions, the whole country is conditionally divided into three areas. The coastal area is Costa, the mountainous area is Sierra, and the forested area is Silva.
Capital of peru
The capital of the state is Lima, which is also the administrative center of the region of the same name. The population of the largest Peruvian city is about 7 million 605 thousand inhabitants. Lima is located on the Pacific coast. The population density is extremely high and amounts to about 3 thousand people. per sq. km territory. In the poorest slums this number is even more - about 7 thousand people.
Real estate prices in the capital are quite high - an ordinary Peruvian is not able to afford to buy good housing in Lima. Therefore, people have to rent apartments or move to the periphery of Lima.
The beginning of the history of Lima dates back to the 16th century. The city was founded by Francisco Pissarro and still has the official name Ciudad de los Reyes, which means "city of kings." Those who visit Lima for the first time are surprised by the low degree of greening the city. It may seem that this is due to urbanization, but this is not entirely true. In this area, vegetation is very scarce, therefore, in the city itself, you can only occasionally see small palm trees, bushes and cacti.
Arequipa - the second largest city
If you list the largest cities in Peru, then Arequipa will be in second place after the capital. This city is located in one of the 25 administrative regions, which bears the same name Arequipa. The city is located in southern Peru and is the center of its province.
The location of the city is very successful - Arequipa is located on the fertile soils of the banks of the Chile River, at the foot of the sleeping volcano El Misti. On one side of Arequipa is the Atacama Desert; on the opposite side, the Andes mountain ranges begin. This city is one of the largest industrial and financial cities of Peru, second only to Lima.
The ancient city of the Incas
The place of the most attractive city for foreign tourists is rightfully occupied by Cuzco. Peru is a country famous for its archaeological finds. The city is located at an altitude of 3200 m above sea level. In translation, its name means "navel of the earth."
Cuzco is a city where the Inca civilization has lived for almost 200 years. The Incas considered the valley of Cuzco to be sacred, and their amazing buildings have survived here: temples, houses, Machu Picchu fortress. The city of Cuzco, as well as the Machu Picchu fortress, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The interaction of the heavenly and earthly worlds was the main concept underlying the Inca worldview in the city of Cuzco. Peru is also known by other ancient civilizations: Nazca, Mochika, Tiauanaco, Chavin culture. The Incas believed that Cuzco is the center of the universe, and the Urubamba river in their view was the earth's axis.
Pucallpa - the distant city of Peru
Another major city is Pucallpa. Peru has several cities with similar living conditions. Pucallpa is the regional center of the Ucayali region, which is located in the Amazon forest. Translated from Quechua, Pucallpa means “red earth”. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Franciscans.
The cities of Peru attract visitors with their originality. Many of them seem abandoned in the world of dense forests and mountains. For a long time, Pucallpa was one of the smallest cities, moreover, isolated from the world by the impenetrable forests of the Amazon and the Andes. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century. railway connections with other cities were first built here.