Chiclayo is a city on the northern coastal plain in Peru. It is 95 feet above sea level. The population is approximately 250,000. It is the capital of the Lambayeque region. Chiclayo was founded in 1560 as a rural Indian village by a Spanish priest. Until the 19th century, Chiclayo remained a small town in comparison to the nearby city of Lambayeque. However, the city of Chiclayo has since grown to become a major modern metropolis.

Since the city is located in a productive valley, there is strong agriculture, such as rice production, sugar cane and cotton. Until Peru's economic decline, the port of Pimentel served as Chiclayo's main export line; sugar refined in Pomalca passed through Chiclayo by train and was exported to various desinations along the Pacific Rim. However, with the socialization of agriculture, and subsequent demise of the Peruvian economy, Chiclayo ceased to export by sea.

Economic prosperity did not leave, however. With the construction of the Panamerican Highway, the city became a center for commerce, due to the fact that it has easy access to mountain passes that allow access to the jungle, as well as being close to the sugar cooperatives.

Chiclayo is well known for its archaelogical sites, such as Túcume , Batán Grande and Huaca Rajada . In 1987, in Huaca Rajada (more often referred to as Sipán ), a Moche mausoleum was found. The most significant discovery was the tomb of the Señor de Sipán , who archaeologists have concluded was a royal ruler from over 1600 years ago. His clothes were adorned with jewels, gold, and silver, these artifacts can be seen in the Tumba Real , in Lambayeque. The amount of treasure found in the tomb rivals that found in the tomb of King Tut, as noted by the National Geographic Magazine, in their feature article.

External links

• The Lord of Sipan, "King Tutankhamen of the Americas" by Antonio Gutierrez from "Geometry Step by Step from the Land of the Incas"