Lambayeque (
Mochica: ''Ñampaxllæc'') is a city on the coast of northern
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and capital of the homonymous district and province in the
department of Lambayeque. It is located 4.7 km from the city of
Chiclayo and 13 km from the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. It is an important cultural and educational center of the department as it houses some of the most important museums in the country, such as the
Royal Tombs Museum and the
Brüning Museum. It was founded in 1553 under the name of San Pedro de Lambayeque by order of the Viceroy Conde de Nieva.
History
In January 2022, two people were killed in Lambayeque, where the
tsunami caused by the eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai measured 2 metres (6 ft 7 in).
Geography
The vast plains of
Túcume are part of the Lambayeque Valley, the largest valley of the north coast of Peru. The Lambayeque Valley is the site of natural and man-made waterways and is also a region of about 250 decaying and heavily eroded mud-brick pyramids.
Climate
Lambayeque has a
hot desert climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''BWh'')
characterized by warm temperatures throughout the year and extremely low precipitation.
December through May marks the hotter part of the year. February, the hottest month, averages daily highs of and daily lows of .
June to November marks the cooler half of the year, with mild temperatures and negligible rainfall. August, the coolest month, averages daily highs of and daily lows of .
Archaeology
The
Brüning Museum, established in the early 20th century, contains hundreds of gold and silver pieces, as well as textiles and ceramics, from the
Vicus,
Moche,
Chimú, Lambeyeque and
Inca
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...
cultures. The ''
Tumba Real'' (
Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum), established in 2002, contains artefacts from the Moche tombs of the
Lord of Sipan, of which fourteen have been excavated.
Dating from around 2000 BCE, the
Ventarron temple is one of the oldest found in the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
, as reported by the Peruvian archeologist
Walter Alva.
Culture
Lambayeque is also the home of
King Kong milk candy, a popular dessert with filling made of fresh milk, pineapple sweets and sometimes peanut.
The region is also known for ''
alfajores''.
References
External List
Populated places in the Department of Lambayeque
Cities in Peru
{{Lambayeque-geo-stub