Piura is a hot tropical city with a population of about 300,000 and is
the capital of the district with the same name. Situated in the middle
of the Sechura desert, one of the
driest on earth, intense irrigation has made Piura an important
agricultural centre. Although it hardly ever rains in Piura, the city
was heavily damaged by floodings during the 1998 El Niño. Piura is one of
Peru's oldest colonial cities.
