Lima, founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes, is the capital and 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, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The city is considered the political, cultural, financial and commercial center of Peru. Due to its geostrategic importance, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network has categorized it as a "beta" tier city. Jurisdictionally, the metropolis extends mainly within the province of Lima and in a smaller portion, to the west, within the Constitutional Province of Callao, where the seaport and the Jorge Chávez Airport are located. Both provinces have regional autonomy since 2002.
The administrative divisions of Peru have changed from time to time since the nation gained independence from Spain in the early 19th century. The old territorial subdivisions have split or merged due to several reasons, the most common ones being the need for decentralization and population increase, especially in Lima.
The Lima Metropolitan Area is an area formed by the conurbation of the Peruvian provinces of Lima and Callao. It is the largest of the metropolitan areas of Peru, the seventh largest in the Americas, the fourth largest in Latin America, and among the thirty largest in the world. The conurbation process started to be evident in the 1980s.
The Catholic Church in Peru is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is a residential and upscale shopping district south of downtown Lima. It is also one of the wealthiest districts that make up the city of Lima. It has several hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and department stores. Miraflores is one of the main tourist destinations in Lima.
The Peru First Division, officially known as Liga 1, is the top flight of association football in Peru. It has been referred to as Torneo Descentralizado since 1966, when the first teams residing outside the Lima and Callao provinces were invited to compete in the inaugural league national competition.
Supermercados Peruanos S.A. is Peru's second-largest supermarket chain. Although its operations were concentrated around Lima at first, the chain started to expand in Peru by opening stores in Arequipa, Chiclayo, Huancayo, Callao, Ica, and Trujillo.
Backus and Johnston is the largest brewery in Peru, part of Bavaria Brewery, which itself is part of the international AB InBev group. Its main brewery is located in the Ate District of Lima. Backus, as owner of almost all brands of beer available in Peru, enjoys a de facto monopoly over Peruvian beer consumption. Besides beer, Backus produces soft drinks and bottled water.
Universidad Alas Peruanas is a university located in Lima, Peru, founded on April 26, 1996, by Joaquin Ramirez thorough an Cooperativa Alas Peruanas, composed of members of the Peruvian Armed Forces.
The Technological University of Peru is a private university in Lima, Peru. It has five offices in the city of Lima, located in the districts of Ate, Los Olivos, Lima, San Juan de Lurigancho and Villa El Salvador. At the national level, it has subsidiaries in Nuevo Chimbote, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Huancayo, Ica, Piura and Trujillo.
