# San Borja District

San Borja is a district of the Lima Province in Peru, and one of the upscale districts that comprise the city of Lima. Originally part of the district of Surquillo and San Isidro, it became officially established as a separate district on June 1, 1983.

## Geography

San Borja is bordered by the districts of San Luis and La Victoria on the north, Santiago de Surco on the east and south, Surquillo on the southwest and San Isidro on the west. The Rio Surco (Surco river) traverses the district in a north–south direction. This is not an actual river, it is a canal fed from the Rimac river and used to irrigate public parks. San Borja is approximately 150 metres (492 feet) above sea level. The terrain is mostly flat, with a gentle downward east–west slope.

### Climate

San Borja has a climate typical of the Peruvian coastal area. The weather is mild, with warm summers and cool winters, and humid all year round. It never rains but during the months from June to October its streets dampen due to a fine drizzle, called "garúa" in Spanish. During this period, the sky is constantly overcast. Average temperatures in San Borja range between 18 and 22 °C (64 and 72 °F). The summer season lasts from December to April. During this time temperatures can reach highs of 28 to 30 °C (82 to 86 °F). Winter lasts from May to November with temperatures as low as 12 to 15 °C (54 to 59 °F).

### Geology

San Borja, as most of the rest of Metropolitan Lima, is built on the alluvial fan formed by the Rimac river during the Quaternary Period. The river deposited up to 300 metres of rounded pebbles, coarse sand and small amounts of fine sand and silt in the valley. Geologists call this type of soil conglomerate. The probable earthquake intensity in the San Borja area is Grade VII in the Modified Mercalli scale. This compares favourably with Grade IX in some areas of La Molina, Callao and Chorrillos.

### Population

According to the Peruvian Institute of Statistics, the age distribution of the population of San Borja is as follows:
| Age Group | Population |
| 0-10 | 23,227 |
| 11-14 | 26,163 |
| 15-29 | 26,964 |
| 30-59 | 46,720 |
| 60+ | 10,412 |
| Total | 133,486 |

## History

There are two pre-Inca archaeological remains in San Borja: Huaca San Borja and Huaca Limatambo.

## Government institutions

Among the government institutions that are located in San Borja we can mention:

### Ministry of Defense

The General Headquarters of the Army are located in San Borja. Often referred to as the Pentagonito or Little Pentagon, it is located in the southeastern part of the district. Its architecture is typical of that of the military government of the 1970s. The outer perimeter of 4.5 km is a very popular circuit for joggers and runners, and during weekends its adjacent streets are closed for jogging and other sports events.

### Museo de la Nacion

The "Museo de la Nacion" is located on the north-west of the district on the corner between Javier Prado and Aviación avenues and very near to the National Library. It is Lima's largest museum. The building was initially constructed to be the Ministry of Fisheries. Its architecture is typical of the military government of the 1970s. It was later used by the National Bank but in 1990 was re-opened as the National Museum. The Museum comprises four floors of exhibitions, all in chronological order. The exhibition starts on the ground floor with pre-historical Peru and ends with the Inca Empire on the top floor. There is a very large collection of pre-colonial (before 1532) objects such as pottery, sculptures, mummies, textiles, weapons, tools, sacred idols and jewelry. A series of three-dimensional scale models and aerial photographs of the country's main archaeological sites and replicas of the houses, clothing and artwork in ancient Peru are exhibited. The main ancient Peruvian cultures like Chavin, Paracas, Moche, Nasca, Wari, Tiahuanaco, Chimu, and Inca are all represented and explained. There is a permanent exhibition of a replica of the "Lord of Sipan" tomb. Guides in Spanish, French and English are available.

### The National Library (Biblioteca Nacional)

The "Biblioteca Nacional" is on the corner between Javier Prado and Aviación avenues and very near to the National Museum. The National Library was established in 1821, the same year Peru was declared independent. It was originally located in Central Lima. During the War of the Pacific, the Chilean occupation army stole most of the works the library possessed. The Library Director is currently trying to identify and recover some of the stolen works from the Chilean authorities. After many years the new building in San Borja was completed and the Library moved there in 2006. The new building has all the modern facilities such as a theater, an amphitheater, cafeteria, exhibition halls, 12 reading rooms with internet connections, storage areas and administrative offices. Security is provided by a CCTV network and a modern fire control system. The Library contains the "Hemeroteca Nacional", the biggest collection of newspapers and magazines in the country. Their website has an online catalogue and a "Virtual Library".

### Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy

Its main goal is to promote and supervise the applications of nuclear energy in the country. It was created in 1975.

### Ministry of Energy and Mines

It is an entity of the Peruvian government responsible for managing the energy and mining sectors of Peru. Additionally, it is charged with overseeing the equal distribution of energy throughout the country.

### National Institute for Child Health

The new building for the National Institute for Child Health is located at the Rosa Toro Avenue.

## Mayors

* 2023-
** Mayor: Marco Antonio Álvarez Vargas (RP).
* 2019-2022
** Mayor: Alberto Tejada Noriega, Popular Action (Peru) (AP).

## Twin cities

San Borja District is twinned with:
* Ramat Gan, Israel