.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";="" mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in"="" lang="EN-IN">After independence, Lima became the capital of the
Republic of Peru but economic stagnation and political turmoil brought urban
development to a halt. This hiatus ended in the 1850s, when increased public
and private revenues from guano exports led to a rapid development of the city.
The export-led expansion also
widened the gap between rich and poor, fostering social unrest.
During the 1879–1883 War of the Pacific,
Chilean troops occupied Lima, looting public museums, libraries and educational
institutions.
At the same
time, angry mobs attacked wealthy citizens and the Asian population; sacking
their properties and businesses.
After the war, the city underwent a process of
renewal and expansion from the 1890s up to the 1920s. During this period, the
urban layout was modified by the construction of big avenues that crisscrossed
the city and connected it with neighboring towns.
In 1940, an earthquake destroyed most of the city,
which at that time was mostly built of adobe and quincha. In the 1940s, Lima started a period of rapid growth
spurred by migration from the Andean regions of Peru, as rural people sought
opportunities for work and education. The population, estimated at 0.6 million
in 1940, reached 1.9 million by 1960 and 4.8 million by 1980.
