Trujillo, Peru
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| Trujillo | |||
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| Nickname(s): La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera (The City of Eternal Spring) |
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| Coordinates: 8°6′43.2″S 79°1′43.68″W / 8.112°S 79.0288°W | |||
| Country |  Peru |
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| Region | La Libertad | ||
| Province | Trujillo Province | ||
| Founded | 6 December 1534 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Democracy | ||
| - Actual Mayor | César Acuña Peralta | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 1,768.65 km2 (682.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 34 m (112 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| - City | 682,834 | ||
| - Density | 462.63/km2 (1,198.2/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 804,296 | ||
| - Metro Density | 631.13/km2 (1,634.6/sq mi) | ||
| Census 2007 | |||
| Time zone | PET (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PET (UTC-5) | ||
| Area code(s) | 44 | ||
| Website | www.muntrujillo.gob.pe | ||
Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru[1]. The city is located at the banks of the Moche River, near its mouth on the Pacific Ocean, in a valley of great cultural hegemony. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trujillo has its seat here.
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[edit] History
Trujillo was one of the first cities founded by Spanish conquerors in America. On December 6, 1534, Diego de Almagro founded the city under the name of "Villa Trujillo," in honour of Francisco Pizarro's birthplace, Trujillo in Extremadura, Spain. On 23 November 1537, King Charles I of Spain gave it the rank of 'city' and the coat of arms that remains a symbol for the city. It was founded among four Chimu settlements (Huanchaco, Huamán, Moche & Mampuesto), so they could ally against the Incas.
In 1619, an earthquake destroyed the city. Years later, in 1624, a new period surge started with the rebuildings of palaces and the opening of the seminary and the school of the Jesuits.
The city played a significant role in the struggle against a complete Spanish rule. It was the first important city of Peru that proclaimed its independence of Spain on 1820, serving as temporary capital of Peru in 1825, and was the main headquarters for Simon Bolívar.
[edit] Climate
Trujillo has a dry climate with an average temperature of 21°C. The summers can reach temperatures over 32°C and the winters are never colder than 14°C. Most of the year, the temperature stays in the low to mid twenties.
Trujillo is known as “La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera", "The City of Eternal Spring", because of its very sunny and pleasant weather year-round. The International Spring Festival in early October attracts visitors from all over Peru and from all over the world.
[edit] Economy
In 1800, the city of Trujillo greatly expanded due to extensive irrigated agriculture, fueled primarily by the sugarcane industry. Today asparagus, rice and shoes are the area's main products.
Today, Trujillo is the most important economic center of northern Peru and an inland commercial and transport center for the surrounding farming areas. The irrigated lands of the Moche River Valley produce sugarcane, rice, and asparagus. Industries in the city include those related with sugar refineries, knitting mills, breweries and shoe industry.
Among the internationally known products of Trujillo, asparagus is exported to neighboring countries, Europe and the United States. The areas around Trujillo are among the largest exporters of white asparagus in the world. Peru is currently the world’s leading asparagus exporter, followed by China and Mexico - [1].
[edit] Demographics
Trujillo is the third most populous city or Peru, with a population of over 800 000 in the metropolitan area as of 2007.[2] . The city itself makes up the 2.9% of the total population of Peru and the 49.69% of the La Libertad .
[edit] Tourism
Tourism is also a major industry in Trujillo due to the city's proximity to important sites where the Moche and Chimu civilizations evolved. These civilzations are well known artisans, many artifacts having been found during archaeological digs in the city. Nearby ruins include the Chimu mud city of Chan Chan,which is the world's largest city built out of adobe Chan-chan, also known as "Ciudad de la Luna" (City of the Moon) or "de las Largas Murallas" (of the Long Walls), has been compared with Teotihuacan in Mexico, and the ancient cities of Egypt. Other nearby ruins are the Moche ruins of Huaca del Sol, Huaca de la Luna, and El Brujo.
Trujillo aspires to be designated a World Heritage Site, because of the proximity of both cultures and its historical colonial city centre whose old houses attract many visitors. The old mansions and manors of Trujillo are distinguished for their solemn and austere facades. Inside, their impressive halls are overflowing with ornaments.
Trujillo's window railings are a truly unique feature of the mansions. The House of Ganoza-Chopitea or "casa Ganoza" with a polychromatic front in the baroque style, crowned by a rococo frontispiece and two lions, is the city's most representative example of Trujillano mansion architecture. Another one is the House of Mayorazgo, as old as the city itself, and holding one of Peru's greatest numismatic collections. In addition, the revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar lived in a house on the Plaza de Armas.
The world-famous beach Huanchaco, a surfing destination, is located just north of Trujillo.
Trujillo's restaurants offer a wide variety of local food such as shambar, mostly served on Mondays, ceviche, sopa teologa and cabrito.
[edit] Transportation
The city is connected to all the main coastal cities by the Pan-American Highway. Important to the city's transportation network is the Cap. FAP Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International Airport.
The portuary towns of Salaverry and Chicama (Puerto Malabrigo) are used for maritime connection with the world.
[edit] Education
There are plenty of higher education institutions. Trujillo is home to the majority of the universities and vocational institutes in northern Peru. The most recognized universities are the National University of Trujillo one of the most important universities in Perú, which was created in May 10, 1824 by Simon Bolivar. Other well-known universities are Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego, Universidad Privada Cesar Vallejo , Universidad Privada del Norte, which belongs to Laurete International university of Laureate Education Inc. being the second International University in Peru, the archdiocesan seminary and the Universidad Católica de Trujillo, the Claretian College of Trujillo, Universidad Privada de Trujillo, and Lord Kelvin school, among others.
[edit] Notable people
- Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, political leader who founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) political movement.
- Maria Julia Mantilla, she was crowned Miss World 2004 in Sanya, China.
- Henry Ian Cusick, Emmy nominated actor.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trujillo (Perú) |
- Information on Huaca de la luna and Huaca del sol
- Huacas del Sol y de la Luna Archaeological Complex official site
- Information on El Brujo Archaeological Complex
- Chan Chan World Heritage Site
- Chan Chan conservation project
- Colonial Trujillo photos
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