Peru is located in the central part of the western coast of South America. It stretches across 1,285,215 square kilometers and has a population of some 23.5 million. Peru's inhabitants are mostly of Andean stock in the highlands and mixed-blooded "mestizos" on the coast, blended in with a hefty influx of European blood, largely Spanish. A country doted with a vast and varied geography, Peru features 28 types of climates and 84 of the 103 ecological zones existing on Earth. Its territory is split into three natural regions running from north to south: the Coast, narrow swathe of desert coastline, which is home to Lima and most of Peru's main cities; the Highlands, which feature breath-taking mountain landscapes and picturesque villages; and the exuberant Amazon jungle, teeming with a dizzying variety of animals and plantlife. Lima, the Peruvian capital, was founded on January 18, 1535, by Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Dubbed the "City of Kings", Lima is today a vast metropolis which blends the splendor of its colonial past with the modern era. Nestling on the banks of the Rimac River and on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Lima is the seat of government and the country's most important institutions. The 1993 Census showed Lima was home to approximately 7 million people, making it by far the country's largest city, bustling with more business and industrial activity than anywhere else in Peru. Lima, a metropolis steeped in vice-regal airs, is the perfect starting point for travelers keen to get to know Peru, a country filled with myths and traditions that are as old as time, a nation doted with spectacular landscapes and imposing archaeological remains, which proof the grandeur of Peru's first inhabitants, the authentic architects of the pre-Hispanic cultures and the Andean civilization.