Provinces of Peru
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The provinces of Peru (Spanish: provincias) are the second-level administrative subdivisions of the country. They are divided into districts (Spanish: distritos). There are 196 provinces in Peru, grouped into 24 departments (or regions), while two provinces—Lima and Callao—are subject to a special regime, with the latter not belonging to any department.[1][2][3][4] This makes an average of seven provinces per department. The department with the fewest provinces is the Constitutional Province of Callao (one province equal in status to a department) and the one with the most is Ancash (twenty).
While provinces in the sparsely populated Amazon rainforest of eastern Peru tend to be larger, there is a large concentration of them in the north-central area of the country. The province with the fewest districts is Purús Province, with just one district. The province with the most districts is Lima Province, with 43 districts. The most common number of districts per province is eight; a total of 29 provinces share this number of districts.
Provincial organization
The current provincial system dates back to the 1823 constitution, which replaced the partidos of the former Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1824, seven departments were created, divided into 56 provinces in total.
Until the 20th century, a number of provinces were granted the designation of littoral province (Spanish: provincia litoral), an autonomous regime equal in status to a department. The most notable example is that of Callao, which operated under this regime from 1836 to 1857, when this status was changed to a constitutional province (Spanish: provincia constitucional), a designation with no practical difference, on April 22 of that year.[5]
According to the 2002 law for the decentralisation of the country, there are two provinces under a special regime (Spanish: régimen especial): Lima and Callao.[1][2] The latter does not belong to any department since 1836.
As of 2025, Peru has 196 provinces in total.[6] The latest to be created is that of Putumayo, on April 10, 2014.
List of provinces
The table below shows all provinces with their capitals and the department in which they are located. The UBIGEO code uniquely identifies each province. Capitals in bold are also a departmental capital. Provinces in which the department's capital is located all have an UBIGEO code ending in 01.
By population
| Province | Population | Department | Name of City | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | 7,605,742 | Lima | Lima | 43 |
| Constitutional Province of Callao | 876,877 | None | Callao | 6 |
| Arequipa | 864,250 | Arequipa | Arequipa | 29 |
| Trujillo | 811,979 | La Libertad | Trujillo | 11 |
| Chiclayo | 757,452 | Lambayeque | Chiclayo | 20 |
| Piura | 665,991 | Piura | Piura | 9 |
| Maynas | 492,992 | Loreto | Iquitos | 13 |
| Huancayo | 466,436 | Junín | Huancayo | 28 |
| Santa | 396,434 | Ancash | Chimbote | 9 |
| Cusco | 367,791 | Cusco | Cusco | 8 |
| Coronel Portillo | 333,890 | Ucayali | Pucallpa | 7 |
| Ica | 321,332 | Ica | Ica | 14 |
| Cajamarca | 316,152 | Cajamarca | Cajamarca | 12 |
| Sullana | 287,680 | Piura | Sullana | 8 |
| Huánuco | 270,233 | Huánuco | Huánuco | 11 |
| Tacna | 262,731 | Tacna | Tacna | 10 |
| Lambayeque | 258,747 | Lambayeque | Lambayeque | 12 |
| San Román | 240,776 | Puno | Juliaca | 4 |
| Puno | 229,236 | Puno | Puno | 15 |
| Huamanga | 221,469 | Ayacucho | Ayacucho | 15 |
Former provinces
| Province | Capital city | Established | Disestablished | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arica | Arica | 1823 | 1929 | Incorporated into Chile |
| Callao[c] | Callao | 1836 | 1857 | Elevated to Constitutional Province |
| Chancay | Huacho | 1821 | 1988 | Dismembered |
| Conchucos | Piscobamba | 1821 | 1861 | Dismembered |
| Huánuco[c][7] | Huánuco | 1867 | 1869 | Elevated to department |
| Ica[c][8] | Ica | 1855 | 1563 | Elevated to department |
| Iquique | Iquique | 1878 | 1883 | Incorporated into Chile |
| Loreto[c][9] | Moyobamba | 1853 | 1866 | Elevated to department |
| Moquegua | Moquegua | 1823 | 1936 | Reorganised |
| Tumbes[c] | Tumbes | 1901 | 1942 | Elevated to department |
| Tinta | Tinta | 1825 | 1833 | Dismembered |
| Tarapacá[c] | Tarapacá | 1837 | 1883 | Incorporated into Chile[d] |
See also
Notes
- ^ Seat of the regional government.[1][2]
- ^ Under a special regime.[1][2]
- ^ a b c d e f Applies to period as a Littoral Province.
- ^ Created as part of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation. Following its dissolution, it was elevated to a littoral province in 1868. Its successor department, which also included a province of the same name, would be incorporated into Chile in 1883 following the War of the Pacific.
References
- ^ a b c d Toledo, Alejandro (17 July 2002). "Ley N° 27783: Ley de Bases de la Descentralización". Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas. p. 11-12.
- ^ a b c d "Ley Nº 31140: Ley que modifica la Ley 27783, Ley de Bases de la Decentralización, precisando el ámbito territorial de competencias de nivel regional en el Departamento de Lima". El Peruano. 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Peru, South America – Administrative regions". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Maps of Peru". World Atlas. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Provincia Constitucional del Callao celebra 177 aniversario". RPP Noticias. 20 August 2013.
- ^ "Beca 18: por primera vez todas las provincias del Perú tienen al menos un becario". Andina. 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Decreto Supremo s/n (Legislación sobre Demarcación Territorial - Provincia Litoral de Huánuco)". Biblioteca del Congreso de la República "César Vallejo" (published 31 January 1867). 29 January 1867.
- ^ "Decreto s/n (Legislación sobre Demarcación Territorial - Departamento de Lima)". Biblioteca del Congreso de la República "César Vallejo" (published 11 July 1855). 25 June 1855.
- ^ "Decreto Supremo s/n (Legislación sobre Demarcación Territorial de Otras divisiones territoriales)". Biblioteca del Congreso de la República "César Vallejo" (published 14 October 1886). 15 April 1853.