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Important Facts and Figures about Lima
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General Information about Lima
(Foundation 1535) Lima is the capital of the Republic of Peru
• Largest city of Peru• 16th most populous city in the world • 2nd largest capital located in a desert (after Cairo) • Political, economic and cultural center of Peru • Home to one third of Peru’s population • Metropolitan Lima is formed by the Province of Lima and the Constitutional Province of Callao
Time Zone:
GMT -5Telephone Area Code:
(1) for the city of Lima(+51) for Peru Official language (Government language):
Spanish
Geography of Lima
(Location, Expansion, Rivers) Geographical position of Lima:
• West central Peru• Located in a desert stripe between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, • Mostly on flat terrain of the Peruvian coastal plain • Within the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers • Historical city center is located at the shore of the Rimac river Expansion of Lima:
• Area of around 2700 km2 • Metropolitan Lima stretches from north to south along the Pacific Ocean for around 80km • Metropolitan Lima stretches west to east from the Pacific to the Andes for around 40 km Important Rivers:
Río Rimac, Río Chillón and Río Lurin
Climate in Lima
(Climate, Average Temperatures) Climate:
• Mild climate throughout the year, despite being located in the tropics and in a dessert• Microclimates make the atmosphere very humid all year round • Sunny, moist and warm summers • Cloudy, humid and mild winters Temperatures:
• December - May with average daily temperatures range from 25°C to 32°C• June - November with average daily temperatures between 12°C and 20°C Main Problems of Lima
(Growth, Development, Infrastructure, Traffic, Society) Main Problems:
• Rapid population growth• Limited space for city expansion (location in a valley, limited to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by the Andes)
• No controlled urban development• Informal way of urban development, in which people settle on the land before it even has been developed
• Division of Lima into 43 separate districts, each with its own mayor and municipality
(making joined decisions very difficult)
• Undeveloped or even missing infrastructure and poverty in poorer areas and slums• Un- and underemployment • Immense traffic without proper public transport system • Heavy air pollution • Lack of rain • Social inequality People in Lima
(Population, Ethnic Groups, Distribution) Population in Lima:
• Population of Lima City (43 districts): 7,605,742 (Census 2007)• Population of Metropolitan Lima (Lima City & the Province of Callao): 8,482,619 (2007) • Population density for the city of Lima: 2,846 people / km² (Census 2007) • Population density for Metropolitan Lima: 3,008 people / km² (Census 2007) Over 35% of Lima’s population lives in squatter settlements called ‘pueblos jovenes’ (young towns) or ‘barriadas’ (shantytowns). Ethnic groups in Lima:
• Apx. 70% Mestizo (mixed European and indigenous Indians) • Apx. 15% Whites • Apx. 10% Amerindians • Apx. 5% Asians and Blacks Population distribution in Lima:
25% (apx.) in Cono Norte (Ancón, Carabayllo, Comas, Independencia, Los Olivos, Puente Piedra, San Juan de Lurigancho, San Martin de Porres, Santa Rosa)12% (apx.) in Eastern Lima (Ate, Cieneguilla, Chaclacayo, El Agustino, Lurigancho, San Luis, Santa Anita) 20% (apx.) in Cono Sur (Chorrillos, Lurín, Pachacamac, Pucusana, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo, San Juan de Miraflores, Santa María del Mar, Villa el Salvador, Villa María del Triunfo) 11% (apx.) in Central Lima (Breña, La Victoria, Downtown Lima, Rimac) 20% (apx.) in Residential Lima (Barranco, Jesús María, La Molina, Lince, Magdalena, Miraflores, Pueblo Libre, San Borja, San Isidro, San Miguel, Santiago de Surco, Surquillo) 12% (apx.) in Callao Bellavista, Callao District, Carmen de la Legua Reynoso, La Perla, La Punta, Ventanilla District) Education in Lima
(Schools, Universities) Schools in Lima:
Choice of fee required, costly private national and international schools or government funded public schools• Public schools drastically lack all sorts of resources • 2.3% of Metropolitan Lima’s population older than 15 years has no education • 11.8% of Metropolitan Lima’s population older than 15 years has primary education • 42.9% of Metropolitan Lima’s population older than 15 years has secondary education • 43.0% of Metropolitan Lima’s population older than 15 years has higher education Universities in Lima:
There are numerous recognized public and private universities.
Lima is home to the oldest university in the Americas - the National University of San Marcos (1551) Other universities include: • The Engineering University • The La Molina National Agrarian University • The Pontifical Catholic University of Peru • The University of San Martín de Porres • The University of Lima and the Ricardo Palma University Transport / Infrastructure in Lima
(Airport, Port, Train, Roads, Public Transport) Airport:
Jorge Chavez International Airport in CallaoPort:
Callao (majority of imports and exports move through it) Train:
Desamparados Train Station, only one public train leaves Lima on a regular base for a trip on the world’s highest railway from Lima to HuancayoMain Roads:
• Pan American Highway (Pan Americana) runs from North to South along the coast• Central Highway (Carretera Central) runs from East to West and connects Lima with the Peruvian highlands
Public Transport:
No proper system of public transportationMain public transport is organized by tens of thousands poor maintained small buses and around 200,000 taxis In June 2010 the first route of Lima’s new public transportation system, called the “Metropolitano” was opened; gas buses that drive on a newly build highway with a fancy underground bus station in Lima’s City Center running from Chorrillos in the south to Independencia in the north. More routes are being planned. Another ambitious project is an above ground electric mass transit system, the “Tren Electrico” (Electric Train). Planned and started to build in the 1980s today it only covers 10 km and has 7 stations. In April 2010 works began to finish at least Route 1 from Villa El Salvador in the south of Lima to San Juan de Lurigancho in the north. The first trials are planned to start already in July 2011. Tourism in Lima
(Tourist Destination - Lima)
![]() Visitors welcome!
Lima is a destination for itself with a plentiful and diverse offer for everyone with a rich archaeological, cultural and historical past. Uncountable museums, amazing historical buildings and beautiful parks make the visit worth while.Visitor friendly infrastructure:
• International airport • Many bus companies • Affordable taxi services • Numerous hotels in all categories • Travel agencies • Tour operators, restaurants • Shopping facilities • Excellent hospitals and doctors (just in case you need it) Economy in Lima
(Employment, GDP, Industry, Stock Exchange) Employment:
• Unemployment est. 7.9% (2009)• Underemployment est. 50% • Minimum wage S/. 550.- per month or S/. 18.33 per day (2009) • Average wage S/. 1100.- (2009) • Working hours 47.4h per week (2009) GDP:
Lima ‘produces’ more than two thirds of the Peruvian GDP, taxes, bank deposits, private investments, doctors and university students• GDP growth rate 5.7% (est. for 2010) and 6.7% (est. for 2011) • Inflation rate 2.8% (est. for 2010) and 3.3% (est. for 2011) Industry & Services:
Almost all of Peru’s mayor industries are located in the Lima areaMain Products: textiles, clothing and food. Chemicals, fish, leather, paper and oil derivatives are also manufactured and/or processed in Lima Commercial activities are spread throughout the city Service sector (retail and wholesale business, trade, finance, tourism) Lima Stock Exchange – Bolsa de Valores de Lima:
One of the world’s fastest growing and most profitable stock exchanges
Districts of Metropolitan Lima
(Districts, Population, Area, Density) Lima is divided into 43 districts (30 inner districts and 13 outer districts).
Metropolitan Lima is formed by Lima’s 43 districts and the Callao Province with 6 districts, each with an elected mayor and city council.
In the following overview we have listed the 49 districts belonging to Metropolitan Lima. The column "Province" indicates to what province the indicated district belongs. The heading "Area" = Total area of the particular district (in square kilometer). The heading "Population" indicate the total amount of citizens living in that particular district (2007). The column with the heading "Density" indicates the population density per district (citizens per square kilometer).
Sources
• INEI – Instituto Nacional Estadística y Informácion, República de Perú
• LimaEasy (c) |
Lima, Peru
Exchange Rates
03-07-2010
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