AREQUIPA

Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population
of 904,931 Arequipa is the second most populous city of the country. Arequipa lies in
the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 2,380 meters (7,800 feet) above sea level; the
snow-capped volcano El Misti overlooks the city.

The city has many colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic
rock, from which it gets the nickname La Ciudad Blanca ("The White City")

Soon after its founding, Arequipa became a major commercial hub of southern Peru,
accumulating commercial and administrative functions. Arequipa articulated in times of
the Viceroyalty of Peru an important economic hub in southern Peru, its role in the
history of the Republic of Peru was and is gravitating, becoming declared "Capital of
the Republic" during the government of Montero. Arequipa has also been home of
many of the outstanding intellectual figures, political and religious icons in the country.
In recent decades Arequipa has become an important industrial and commercial center
of Peru, now being the second most industrialized city in Perú.

Arequipa has several industrial parks, for what the city has close trade ties with Chile,
Bolivia and Brazil; links with cities connected by the Southern Railway and with the
port of Matarani.

Arequipa climate

The climate of Arequipa is one that is especially warm and rather dry, all through the
year. Arequipa lies alongside the southernmost tip of Peru's Desert Coast and enjoys
plenty of sunny weather, with daytime temperatures rarely dipping much below 20°C /
68°F or thereabouts.

Arequipa Geography

The city of Arequipa is located in the southwestern part of the country, between the
coastal area of the coastal desert and the spurs of the western Andes. Arequipa
possesses a series of volcanic cones as "El Misti", "Chachani" and "Pichu Pichu", its
territory is rugged due to the presence of the Andes in the west of the continent and is
characterized by thick layers of volcanic lava cover large areas of its geography.

Arequipa Tourism

Tourism is an important economic factor for Arequipa, the third most visited city in
Peru. 1,217,254 people visited Arequipa in 2008, 290,983 of which were foreign
(23.9%).People who visit Arequipa can admire the colonial architecture in the historical
center of Arequipa, the magnificent Inca terraces in the countryside surrounding
districts and a very extensive landscape, product of human and nature creation, an
important factor for its declaration as Cultural Heritage Humanity. Arequipa is the third
most visited city in Peru after Lima and Cuzco.

http://www.arequipaperu.org