Iquitos

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Iquitos" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Iquitos San Pablo de Nuevo Napeanos
City
From top to bottom and from left to right: Iquitos Cathedral; Old Hotel Palace; Belen Market; Boulevard of Iquitos; Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport; Chapel of Consolation and Saint Augustine Seminary; One of the main ports of Iquitos; Nanay Bridge; Northern Area of Metropolitan Iquitos; Historical Ship Ayapua Museum; José Abelardo Quiñones Avenue.
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Capital of the Peruvian Amazon, The Amazonian Island
Motto:  Carpent tua poma nepotes (Latin: Your children will harvest your fruits)
Iquitos Location within the Loreto Region in Peru Show map of Department of Loreto Iquitos Iquitos (Peru) Show map of Peru Iquitos Iquitos (South America) Show map of South America
Coordinates: 3°45′S 73°15′W / 3.750°S 73.250°W / -3.750; -73.250
Country	Peru
Region	Loreto
Province	Maynas
District	Iquitos
Settled	1624
Incorporated	1866
Government
• Type	Local government
• Body	Provincial Municipality of Maynas
• Mayor	Francisco Sanjurjo Dávila (2019-2022)
Area [1]
• City	1,213 km2 (468.5 sq mi)
• Land	784 km2 (302.6 sq mi)
• Water	340 km2 (132 sq mi)
Elevation	104 m (341 ft)
Population
• Estimate  (2023)[2]	491,000
• Rank	9th
• Metro	510,000
Demonym	Iquiteño
Time zone	UTC-5 (PET)
UBIGEO	1601
Area code	65
ISO 3166 code	PE-LOR
Climate	Af
Website	www.munimaynas.gob.pe

Interactive Map

Iquitos (/ɪˈkɪtɒs, iː-, -toʊs/ ^ⓘ;^[3][4] Spanish pronunciation: [iˈkitos]) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city in Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road that is not on an island; it is only accessible by river and air.^[5]

It is known as the "capital of the Peruvian Amazon". The city is located in the Great Plains of the Amazon Basin, fed by the Amazon, Nanay, and Itaya rivers. Overall, it constitutes the Iquitos metropolitan area, a conurbation of 471,993 inhabitants consisting of four districts: Iquitos, Punchana, Belén, and San Juan Bautista.

The area has long been inhabited by indigenous peoples. According to Spanish historical documents, Iquitos was established around 1757 as a Spanish Jesuit reduction on the banks of the Nanay River. The Jesuits gathered local Napeano (Yameo) and Iquito natives to live here, and they named it San Pablo de Napeanos.

In the late 19th century, during the Amazon rubber boom, the city became the center of export of rubber production from the Amazon Basin and was the headquarters of the Peruvian Amazon Company (PAC). The city's economy was highly dependent on the PAC, controlled in the nation by Peruvian businessman Julio César Arana. PAC kept indigenous workers in near slavery conditions through use of force and harsh treatment, until an investigation caused a reaction against the company. In addition, rubber seedlings had been smuggled out of the country and cultivated on plantations in Southeast Asia, undercutting prices of the Peruvian product. With the decline of the rubber industry, many workers and merchants left Iquitos.

As one of the leading cities, along with Manaus, during the Amazon rubber boom (1880–1914), Iquitos was influenced by the numerous Europeans who flocked to it. Architecture and cultural institutions established during this period expressed their own traditions. An opera house and Jewish cemetery were among the institutions established.

Later in the 20th century, the city and region diversified its economy. The region exported timber, fish and its by-products, oil, minerals, and agricultural crops. It also derives revenue from tourism and related crafts. In 1999, the city consolidated its four municipalities.