Lima is
the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the
Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert
coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it
forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a
population approaching 9 million, Lima is the most populous metropolitan area
of Peru, and the fourth largest city in the Americas (as defined by "city
proper"), behind São Paulo, Mexico City, and New York City. Lima is home
to one of
