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 desert zone of the central coastal part of the country, 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 of more than 9.7 million and more than 10.7 million in its metropolitan area, Lima is one of the largest cities in the Americas.

Lima was named by natives in the agricultural region known by native Peruvians as Lima. It became the capital and most important city in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru (República del Perú). Around one-third of the national population lives in metropolitan areas.

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru and, in 2017, had a population of 428,450. Its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft).

The city was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until the 16th-century Spanish conquest. In 1983, Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with the title “City of Cuzco.” It has become a significant tourist destination, hosting nearly 2 million visitors annually. The Constitution of Peru (1993) designates it as the Historical Capital of Peru.

Iquitos is the capital city of Peru’s Maynas Province and Loreto Region. The most significant metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, is the ninth-most populous city of Peru. It is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road – it is accessible only by river and air.

It is known as the “capital of the Peruvian Amazon.” The city is located in the Great Plains of the Amazon Basin, fed by the Amazon, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. The Iquitos metropolitan area consists of 471,993 inhabitants and four districts: Iquitos, Punchana, Belén, and San Juan Bautista.

Arequipa is the city and capital of the province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and is often dubbed the “legal capital of Peru.” It is the second most populated city in Peru, after Lima, with an urban population of 1,008,290 inhabitants, according to the 2017 national census.

Its metropolitan area integrates twenty-one districts, including the foundational central area, which is the seat of the city government. The city has a Nominal GDP of 9,445 million (USD) and a nominal GDP per capita of US$10,277, representing a GDP per capita PPP of US$18,610 in the period 2015, being the city with the second-highest economic activity in Peru.

Huancayo is the capital of the Junín Region, in Peru’s central highlands.
Huancayo is located in Huancayo Province, which is also the capital. It is situated in the Mantaro Valley at an altitude of 3,271 meters and belongs to the Quechua region. Depending on delimitation, the agglomeration has a population between 340,000 and 380,000 and is the fifth most populous city in the country. Huancayo is the cultural and commercial center of the whole central Peruvian Andes area. Huancayo Metropolitano is made up of seven districts that form the urban center of the Junín region. This region is considered central Peru’s economic and social hub.