Ica, Peru

Ica
Ica
	Plaza de Armas by night
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location in Peru
Country	Peru
Region	Ica
Province	Ica
Founded	1563
Government
• Type	Democracy
• Mayor	Luis Oliva Fernández Prada
Elevation	406 m (1,332 ft)
Population
• Total	261,000 (2,007 calculation)
Time zone	UTC-5 (PET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (PET)
Area code	56
Website	www.muniica.gob.pe

Ica is a city in Peru. The capital of the Ica Region, it has a population of over 200,000. The city suffered extensive damage and loss of life during the 2007 Peru earthquake.

Location

The city is located on the Ica River about 300 km to the south of Lima along the desert coast of southern Peru. Further south along the Pan-American Highway lies the city of Nazca.

History

The city was founded in 1563 by Gerónimo Luis de Cabrera as Villa de Valverde. On August 15, 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Peru, severely hitting Ica.^[1]

Transportation

Ica can be reached from Lima by the Pan-American Highway. Due to the earthquake, currently the Pan-American Highway is damaged and the city of Ica is in a state of emergency.

Tourism

Ica and surrounding areas are the traditional source of Pisco brandy. Ica is home to Museo Regional de Ica, a local museum with many exhibits. On display are pre-Columbian mummies with elongated heads bearing evidence of trepanning. There are also furniture, paintings and artifacts from the Spanish colonial era.

Ica is an important agricultural region, where grapes, cotton, asparagus, olives and other produce is cultivated. It is known by Peruvians as the land of the sun, and although there are the 4 seasons, the warm dry climate makes it feels like summer year-round. Natives also claim the climate of the city can help in the curing of asthma.