Chimbote

City of Chimbote
Coat of Arms
City nickname: "La Capital de la pesca y el acero" ("The Capital City of Fishing and Steel")
Data
Area	500 km²
Population &nbsp -Total &nbsp -Density	400 000 (2003 estimate) 600/km²
Districts	2
Location	09º08' South 78º31' West
Politics
Mayor	Dr. Valentin Fernandez Bazan

Chimbote is the largest city of the Ancash region in Peru. Chimbote is located south of Trujillo, north of Lima, located on the coast in Chimbote Bay.

It is the largest fishing port in Peru. Chimbote has more than 30 fish factories, and has some of the world's finest fish-packing equipment. In the 1970s El Niño, an earthquake, and overfishing drastically affected the fishing, and added restrictions. However, more than 75 percent of Peru's fishing activity comes from Chimbote. The Chimbote-Huallanca rail line, built in 1922, serves as a railway for coal and iron mines on the interior and a railway for the river valley by transporting rice, cotton, sugarcane, and bananas. Population is about 314,700 people.

Peru's current president, Alejandro Toledo, grew up there.

The city is known for its ceviche, a Peruvian dish.

It forms a conurbation with New Chimbote district, to the south. Between these districts is the Humedales de Villa María, a beautiful swamp where lives a local species of heron, many species of frogs and fishes. It's formed from the Lacramarca river.

To the south there are many beautiful beaches, such as as Vesique, Los Chimus, Tortugas,'Caleta Colorada', etc.

There's also the Isla Blanca Isle (white isle, in English), that takes its name from the white colour of its ground.

The tourist can also visit the Isla Blanca Boulevard - which has many beautiful marble sculptures and fonts.

Chimbote has two important celebrations during the year: Holy Week and San Pedrito's Party (also called The Chimbote's Civic Aniversary).