Lima is the capital and the
largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the
Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the
country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban
area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area, with a population
approaching 9 million. Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador
Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, as la Ciudad de los Reyes,
or "the City of Kings". It became the capital and most
important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the
Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the
Republic of Peru. Today, around one-third of the Peruvian
population lives in the metropolitan area. Lima is home to one of
the oldest higher learning institutions in the New World. The
National University of San Marcos, founded on May 12, 1551 during
Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning
university in the Americas.
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