Lima is the capital and 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. The city is considered the political, cultural, financial and commercial center of Peru. Due to its geostrategic importance, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network has categorized it as a "beta" tier city. Jurisdictionally, the metropolis extends mainly within the province of Lima and in a smaller portion, to the west, within the Constitutional Province of Callao, where the seaport and the Jorge Chávez Airport are located. Both provinces have had regional autonomy since 2002.
The 2023 census projection indicates that the city of Lima has an estimated population of 10,092,000 inhabitants, making it the second-most populous city in South America and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world in terms of city proper population. The Lima Metropolitan Area, which forms a contiguous urban area with the seaside city of Callao, has a population of 10,151,200 inhabitants. When considering the additional 6 districts contained in the Constitutional Province of Callao, the total agglomeration reaches a population of 11,342,100 inhabitants, one of the most populated urban agglomerations in the world. The city is marked by severe urban segregation between the poor pueblos jóvenes, populated in large part by immigrants from the Andean highlands, and wealthy neighborhoods.
