Arequipa
Second most populous city in Peru and its Legal Capital.
Arequipa is a city in southern Peru, the capital of Arequipa Province and the Department of Arequipa. It is the official seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and is known as the 'Legal Capital of Peru'. The city extends along both banks of the Chili River, bordered by the Andes to the north and east and by low coastal hills to the south and west.
- Country
- Peru
- Region
- Arequipa Province and Department
- Known for
- Legal Capital of Peru; second most populous city; UNESCO World Heritage Site
Lore & Background
During the viceregal period, it gained importance through its economic role and loyalty to the Spanish monarchy. After independence, the city acted as a counterweight to centralized power in Lima, functioning as a 'second capital'.
Reader's Guide
Arequipa is Peru's second most industrialized city and one of its most economically active urban centers. Its industrial activity includes manufactured goods, textiles made from wool of camelids, and the production and sale of copper and molybdenum concentrates. The city maintains commercial links with Chile, Bolivia and Brazil, and is connected by the Southern Railway with the port of Matarani and the cities of Cusco and Puno. Its historical and monumental heritage, together with its scenic and cultural spaces, has made it a destination for national and international tourism. In the historic area, viceregal and republican religious architecture combines Spanish and Indigenous features, forming the 'Arequipan School', whose influence reached Potosí.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Arequipa' may derive from the Puquina language, with the original form Are-quiapi.
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