Lima conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, as "Ciudad de los Reyes". It became the capital and most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the Peruvian War of Independence, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru. Around one-third of the national population lives in the metropolitan area. Lima is home to one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the New World. The National University of San Marcos, founded on May 12, 1551, during the Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. In October 2013, Lima was chosen to
Lima Metro Humala announced the upcoming construction of Metro Line 2 of Lima along the initially proposed route, with some variations, as a 27 km underground line, linking the district of Ate (Lima) and the Callao region adjoining the capital. This line will interconnect with the current Line 1 station in Grau and the line no. 1 of the BRT in Central Station (which is also underground and currently in operation). Concurrently, the project include a first stage of line 4 this will connect the system to the International Airport and four stations beyond. Transport Minister Carlos Paredes meanwhile projected that the