The Fifth Latin American cities

LIMA - Peru's capital Lima - an interesting and colorful Latin American city. It is the capital of the western South American country of Peru. The city is located near the Pacific coast and in river valleys Kilon, Kimaks and Lurin. The capital is located in the desert near the mainland coast of the eponymous bay. To the west of Lima, is a port city of Callao. Lima - the fifth largest city in Latin America after Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. ST. Francis in the capital of Peru is home to nearly 7 million people, and the suburbs - 7.8 million inhabitants, making it one of Lima's largest and densely populated urban areas of Latin America. Residents of Lima, belong to different racial and ethnic groups. Traditionally, most of them are mestizos, descendants of Europeans and Indians. Political and economic instability in the second half of XX century have led to an influx from the provinces to the capital of a large number of pure-blooded Indians. University park history begins in Lima in 1535, when the city was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The original settlement was called the City of Kings. Lima became the most important city of the Spanish part of Peru, an administrative region, which includes most of the Spanish colonies of South America. More than three centuries, Lima was the largest metropolis of the continent. Today, nearly one-third of the Peruvian population lives in this city. In 1551 was founded by National University of San Marcos in Lima, it operates to this day the status of the oldest university in the Americas. Poor neighborhoods tour historical and cultural places in Lima also includes examination of the historical city center. Here is the area of ??the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral of St. Francis, built in the XVI century, and the presidential palace. Especially interesting is the olive park. Among the religious monuments stands the monastery of St. Francis, famous for its catacombs. In general, St. Francis is an excellent example of colonial architecture. In Lima, there is also a Gold Museum and the Museum of Lark, on Archaeology of Peru. Here you can learn much about the turbulent history of Lima and Latin America. Both museums are located in the district of Puebla. New areas of Lima Historic Centre of Lima, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its striking mixture of architectural and historical styles - Spanish colonial style, Art Nouveau, French architectural trends and many others. In this part of Lima preserved fortified walls, which are a perfect example of a medieval Spanish fortifications. See also other materials about the Peruvian capital: city of fine cuisine and no less exquisite music