The Department of Lima () is a department and region located in the central coast of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, the ''seat of the Regional Government'' is

Huacho Huacho () is a city in Peru, capital of the Huaura Province and capital of the Lima Region. Also is the most populated city of the Lima Region and Norte Chico. It is located 223 feet (68 metres) above sea level and 148 km north of the city of ...

Lima Province Lima Province is located in the central coast of Peru and is the only province in the country not belonging to any of the twenty-five regions. Its capital is Lima, which is also the nation's capital. Despite its small area, this province is the ...

, which contains the city of

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. 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's capital, is located west of the Department of Lima; this province is autonomous and not under the jurisdiction of the Regional Government.

Geography

The department of Lima is bordered by the departments of

Ancash Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital i ...

on the north,

Huánuco Huánuco (; qu, Wanuku) is a city in central Peru. It had a population of 196,627 as of 2017 and in 2015 it had a population of 175,068. It is the capital of the Huánuco Region and the Huánuco District. It is the seat of the diocese of Hu ...

, Pasco, and Junín on the east,

Huancavelica Huancavelica () or Wankawillka in Quechua is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the department of Huancavelica and according to the 2017 census had a population of 49,570 people. The city was established on August 5, 1572 by the Viceroy ...

on the southeast, Ica on the south, and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

and the

on the west. The department has a coastal and an

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

zone, and has a great diversity of natural regions: the Coast or ''Chala'' (0 to 500 meters above sea level) up to the ''Janka'' or ''Mountain range'' ( es, Cordillera, over 4800 meters). The predominating regions are the ''Yunga'' (500 to 2300 meters above sea level) and ''Quechua'' (2300 to 3500 meters)

Points of interest

Lachay National Reserve

The

Lachay National Reserve Lachay National Reserve ( es, Reserva Nacional de Lachay) is a protected area in the region of Lima, Peru. The reserve is located north from the Peruvian capital, Lima, and protects part of the lomas ecosystem. Climate Climate at the reserve i ...

, in the

Huaura province Huaura is one of nine provinces of the Department of Lima on the Pacific coast of Peru. It has a population of about 180,000 inhabitants. Is the most important province of the Region Lima-Provinces. It is bordered by the province of Barranca and ...

, is a unique mist-fed

eco-system An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

of wild plant and animal species, is a natural reserve located in the north of the department.

Huacho - The capital of the Lima Region

, the capital of the Region Lima and the most populated city of the department (excluding

that is administrated by an autonomous government, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima). Sitting at the bottom of a wide bay, it has a pleasant and dry climate. In its vicinity, the Huaura River - is where rice, cotton, sugar cane and different fruits and cereals are grown. This has given rise to an important cotton industry as well as soap and oil factories.

Lunahuaná

Lunahuaná District Lunahuaná is a district in the middle Cañete Province in Peru. It is bordered by Imperial District on the west, San Vicente de Cañete District on the north, Pacarán District Pacarán District is one of sixteen districts of the province Ca ...

Cañete Province Cañete Province is located in southern Lima Region, Peru. It is bordered by the Lima Province on the north, the Ica Region on the south, the Huarochirí Province and Yauyos Province on the east, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital ...

, is located away from the south city of

San Vicente de Cañete San Vicente de Cañete, commonly known as San Vicente or Cañete, is a city and capital of the Cañete Province, in southern Lima Region. With a population of 85,533 (2015 estimate). The warm and peaceful town of Cañete is located just one and a ...

. The

Incahuasi Incahuasi (; possibly from Quechua: ''inka'' Inca, ''wasi'' house) is a volcanic mountain in the Andes of South America. It lies on the border of the Catamarca Province of Argentina and the Atacama Region of Chile. Incahuasi has a summit elevat ...

Archeological complex is located there.

Lunahuaná Lunahuaná is a small town in the Cañete Province in Peru. The town lies about 187 km south of Lima in the Lunahuaná valley at the bank of Cañete River. Due to the unique landscape, Lunahuaná is a very popular destination for both Peruvia ...

has a dry climate and the sun shines during most of the year. Lately, Lunahuaná has become an adventure sports paradise, such as: ''Canotaje'' (Whitewater Rafting), ''Parapente'' & ''Ala Delta''. Whitewater rafting is possible due to the

Cañete River Cañete may refer to: *Cañete, Chile city in Chile * San Vicente de Cañete a town in Peru *San Vicente de Cañete District in Peru *Cañete Province in Peru * in Peru *Cañete (Cuenca) municipality in Cuenca, Spain **The medieval Castle of Cañet ...

, which has rapids up to level 4. The main settlement in this district is the town of

History

The remains of early Andean inhabitants, hunters and harpoon fishermen from more than 6500 years ago, are to be found in the department of Lima. These remains were found in Chivateros, near the

Chillón River The Chillón River is a river located in western Peru. Its waters are produced by the melting of ice in the glaciers of the Andes, and its mouth is located in the Pacific Ocean coast of the Callao Region. Its volume gets higher during the summer ...

, and in various other places. These persons incorporated nets, hooks, farming, ceramics and weaving to their everyday objects. The inhabitants of the coast lived in the ''lomas'' and the valleys, where they built temples and dwelling complexes, leading to huge ceremonial centres, such as the Huacoy on the

; Garagay and La Florida on the

Rímac River The Rímac River is located in western Peru and is the most important source of potable water for the Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area. The river is part of the Pacific watershed and has a length of 204 km. The river begins in the highlan ...

, Manchay on the

Lurín River The Lurín River is a long watercourse located in the Lima Region of Peru. It originates in the glaciers and lagoons of the western Andes. It is known as the Chalilla River until joining the Taquía creek where it receives its common name. Its m ...

; and

Chancay Chancay is a small city located north of Lima. Its population is 63,378. The Chancay culture was a pre-Columbian archaeological culture, later part of the Inca Empire. History It was founded in 1562 under the name of Villa de Arnedo. The ma ...

, Supe and many other valleys to the north and south. There are finely ornamented temples with figures modelled in clay. Lithic prehistoric projectile points of Paijan type were found at Ancón, 40 kilometres northeast of Lima in the Chillón River Valley. The 5,000-year-old ruins known as El Paraíso are also located in this area. A temple at the site is believed to be about 5,000 years old. In 2006, a team of archeological researchers led by Robert Benfer announced their findings from a four-year excavation at

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

in the

valley a few kilometres north of present-day Lima. They had discovered a 4200-year-old observatory constructed by an early Andean civilization, a three-dimensional sculpture, unique for the time period in this region, and sophisticated carvings. The observatory is on top of a 10-meter

pyramidal A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilater ...

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher ...

and has architectural features for sighting the astronomical

solstices A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countri ...

. The discovery pushes back the time for the development of complex civilisation in the area and has altered scholars' understanding of Preceramic period cultures in Peru.Richard Lovett, "Oldest Observatory in Americas Discovered in Peru"
''National Geographic'', May 2006, accessed 2 Nov 2010 The

Lima culture The Lima culture was an indigenous civilization which existed in modern-day Lima, Peru during the Early Intermediate Period, extending from roughly 100 to 650. This pre-Incan culture, which overlaps with surrounding Paracas, Moche, and Nasca civi ...

(100 A.D. to 650 A.D.) arose in this area, specially in the central valleys from

to Lurín. It was distinguished by painted adobe buildings. During this time, the

Huari Huari may refer to: *Huari culture, a historical civilization in Peru *Huari (archaeological site), an archaeological site in Peru *Huari, Peru, a town in Peru * Huari District, a district in the Huari Province, Peru * Huari Province, a province in ...

conquest took place, thus giving rise to Huari-style ceramics, together with a local style known as Nievería. As the population grew, their culture changed. With the decline of the Huari, whose most important center was Cajamarquilla, new local cultures arose. The

are the most well-known. They developed large urban centers and a considerable textile production, as well as mass-produced ceramics. At this stage in the mid-

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period. ...

, the

Incas The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

arrived from their base in the Andes. They conquered and absorbed the regional cultures and occupied important sites such as

Pachacamac Pachacámac ( qu, Pachakamaq) is an archaeological site southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. The site was first settled around A.D. 200 and was named after the "Earth Maker" creator god Pacha Kamaq. The site flourished ...

, turning it into an administrative centre.

Political division

The department is divided into 9 provinces, which are composed of 171 districts. * Barranca ( Barranca) *

Cajatambo Cajatambo or Kashatampu is the capital of the Cajatambo Province in the Lima Region of Peru. History Founded during the Tawantinsuyu (Inca Empire) before the advent of the Spanish conquistadors, with the name of ''Kasha Tanpu'', it was one of ...

(

) * Cañete (

) *

Canta Canta is a town in the Lima Region, in western Peru. The town is located on the Chillón River and is the capital of the Canta Province. With a population of 2,385 ( 2017 census), it is also the capital of Canta District. It is frequently visited ...

(

) * Huaral ( Huaral) * Huarochirí (

Matucana ''Matucana'' is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing approximately 20 species of mostly globular plants. The genus is only known from Peru, mostly along the Marañón River. The first species was discovered near the town of Matuca ...

) * Huaura (

) * Oyón ( Oyón) *

Yauyos Yauyos is a town in Central Peru, capital of the province Yauyos in the region Lima. The city is the seat of the Territorial Prelature of Yauyos The Territorial Prelature of Yauyos ( la, Praelatura Territorialis Yauyosensis) is a Roman Catho ...

(

)

Places of interest

Caral The Sacred City of Caral-Supe or simply Caral, is an archaeological site where the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization are found. It is located in Peru in the Supe valley, near the current town of Caral, 182 kilometers north of L ...

* Lachay Hill's * Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve

References

External links

Lima Region Information Hub
– Lima Region Information Hub official website
Lima Region Tourism Board
– Lima Region Tourism Board (CEPTUR) official website
North Lima Region
– Lima Region: Social, Cultural and Tourist Information

– General facts and travel information about Lima
Gobierno Regional Lima
– Lima Regional Government official website {{Authority control Regions of Peru