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 Region was Cajamarquilla, new local cultures arose. The Chancay are the most well known. They developed large urban centers and a considerable textile production, as well as mass-produced ceramics. At this stage in the mid-fifteenth century, the Incas arrived from their base in the Andes. They conquered and absorbed the regional cultures and occupied important sites such as Pachacamac, turning it into an administrative center. The region is divided into 10 provinces, which are composed of 171 districts. Lima Region Lima Region () is located in the central coast of the country, its "regional seat" (capital city) is Huacho. Lima Province,