LIMA. The capital of Peru. it is situated on the 1:111Me, seV(.11 miles frMil Where it flows into the Pacific Geean. and from the port of Callao (q.v.), in latitude 12' 2' S., longitude 77' 7' W. (Map: Peru, B 6). to its prox imity to the Andes, the climate of Lima is very moderate, and in winter the air feels even chilly on account of the dense fogs which then prevail, and which render the climate very unhealthful. Bain, however, is almost unknown. The city is laid out in the form of a triangle, and the streets, though narrow, are straight and crass at right angles. The old city was surrounded by adobe walls, which were razed in 1870, and their sites converted into boulevards. There are several handsome promenades adorned with shade-Imes and statues, and a number of squares, the foremost of which are the Plaza de la hide pendencia. containing a tine equestrian statue of Bolivar, and the Plaza Alayor, with a bronze fountain in the centre. mn this plaza stand the cathedral and Archbishop's palace, the city hall, and the Government building. There are no parks properly so called, but the Exposition grounds form a beautiful pleasure garden with palaces, pavilions, and statues, besides zoidogieal and botanical gardens. The houses of Lima are as a rule roomy two-story structures built in the Spanish style with a central patio or court yard. They are almost invariably built of adobe stueet.•d With plaster. Foremost among the buildings sta.nds the cathedral, with it beautiful :Moo•ish facade and two lofty towers; it was be gun in 1535 and consecrated in 1625. There are about sixty other churches, and several' fine hospitals.
The educational institutions of lima comprise the national university, the oldest. in America, having, betides the Colegio the San Carlos, facul ties of medicine, law, theology, political science, and applied science. There are also schools of
engineering, agriculture, and navigatbm, a mili tary and a naval academy, and over 100 minor schools. There are, besides, an athemeum, scien tifie and literary societies, where public lec tures are given, and several valuable libraries. among which the foremost is the National Library, which was lotinded in 1822, and con tained 60.000 volumes la‘fore it was destroyed by the Chileans in 1880; it now 'contains about 40,000 volumes. Lima has developed rapidly in recent years; since the razing of the walls in 1870 the suburbs hare thoroughly grown into the city it self, which has been greatly extended. The public works are in good comfit hal ; the city is lighted by electricity, and it has an excellent water-supply and sewerage system. The water is obtained by direet filtration from the Rinme into subterranean chambers, from which it is brought to the city in pipes and distributed by the grav ity system. 1.ima is the chief commercial centre it the country.. The Transandean Bailroad, run ning from the Port of Callao across the Cordil leras, is here intersected by a railroad running northward through the provinee. The chief manufactures of the city arc furniture, iron, and.
copper articles, pottery, and dyestuffs. The population is estimated at about 115,000.
Lima was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizar ro. who called it 'Ciudad de los Reyes' ('City of the Kings'). Its later name, Lima, is a corrup tion of 'Rimae,' the name of the river. During Spanish colonial times it was the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which then included the greater part of Spanish South America. In 1880 SI Lima was occupied by the Chilean army, which desirl)yell many of its finest. treasures aml monu ments. Consult Middendorf, Peru, vol. i. (Berlin, 1893).