# Moquegua

> city of Peru, capital of Moquegua region

**Wikidata**: [Q1000346](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1000346)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moquegua)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/moquegua

## Summary

Moquegua is a city in southern Peru and the capital of both the Moquegua Department (region) and the Mariscal Nieto Province. Located within the Moquegua District at an elevation of 1,410 metres above sea level, it sits at coordinates approximately 17.2°S, 70.93°W. As of the 2017 national census, the city recorded a population of 69,882 inhabitants.

## Key Facts

- **Country:** Peru (sovereign state in South America, independent since July 28, 1821)
- **Classification:** City (large human settlement)
- **Administrative role:** Capital of the Moquegua Department (region) and the Mariscal Nieto Province; located within the Moquegua District
- **Coordinates:** Latitude -17.2, Longitude -70.933333
- **Elevation:** 1,410 metres above sea level
- **Population (2007 census):** 50,799
- **Population (2017 census):** 69,882 (preferred figure)
- **Demonym:** Moqueguano (masculine singular)
- **Postal code:** 18001
- **UN/LOCODE:** PEMOQ
- **Patron saint:** Fortunata
- **Historical full name:** Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar del Valle de Moquegua (with variants including "Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua," "Villa de Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua," "Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar de Moquegua," and "Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar de Moquegua")
- **Twin towns:** Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) and La Paz (Bolivia)
- **Differentiated from:** The Moquegua Department (region) of the same name
- **Available in 33 Wikipedia language editions** including Spanish, English, German, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Quechua, and Aymara among others

## FAQs

**Where is Moquegua located within Peru?**
Moquegua is situated in the Moquegua District of the Mariscal Nieto Province in southern Peru. It serves as the regional capital of the Moquegua Department and sits at roughly 17.2 degrees south latitude and 70.93 degrees west longitude, at an altitude of 1,410 metres.

**How has Moquegua's population changed over time?**
The city's population grew from 50,799 in the 2007 national census to 69,882 in the 2017 census, representing an increase of approximately 37.6% over the decade. Both figures come from Peru's National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).

**What is the historical significance of Moquegua's name?**
The city's full colonial-era designation is "Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar del Valle de Moquegua," reflecting its Spanish founding heritage. It appears in multiple historical references under slightly different variants of this name.

**What sister-city relationships does Moquegua maintain?**
Moquegua is twinned with Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and La Paz in Bolivia, reflecting cultural and historical ties across the former Spanish colonial world.

**Is Moquegua the same as the Moquegua region?**
No. Moquegua is both a city and the capital of the wider Moquegua Department (region). Wikidata explicitly differentiates the city entity from the regional administrative division.

## Why It Matters

Moquegua holds significance as a regional capital city in southern Peru, anchoring the administrative, economic, and cultural life of the Moquegua Department. Its role as seat of both the regional government and the Mariscal Nieto Province places it at the centre of governance for a substantial portion of Peru's southern coastal and highland territory. The city's steady population growth — from just over 50,000 to nearly 70,000 between 2007 and 2017 — signals ongoing urbanisation and economic relevance in the region. Its inclusion in reference works spanning more than a century, from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica through Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (1885–1890) to modern Catalan and French national encyclopedias, underscores its longstanding recognition as a notable Peruvian urban centre. The availability of its Wikipedia article in 33 languages, including indigenous Andean languages like Quechua and Aymara, further testifies to its broad cultural importance.

## Notable For

- Serving as the capital of both a Peruvian department (region) and a province simultaneously
- Holding a centuries-old colonial-era formal name honoring Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar
- Maintaining international sister-city ties with Jerez de la Frontera and La Paz
- Being documented in the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition (1911) and Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 4th edition (1885–1890), placing it among historically well-recognized South American cities
- Appearing in 33 different language editions of Wikipedia, including indigenous Andean languages
- Experiencing rapid population growth of nearly 38% between 2007 and 2017
- Being the headquarters location of Cobresol, an association football club founded in 2008

## Body

### Geography and Coordinates

Moquegua is positioned at latitude -17.2 and longitude -70.933333 in southern Peru. The city sits at an elevation of 1,410 metres above sea level. It is located within the Moquegua District, which falls under the Mariscal Nieto Province. Its UN/LOCODE designation is PEMOQ, and it carries the postal code 18001. The city is identified in the GeoNames database under ID 3934608 and has a Who's on First identifier of 421170887. Its GNS Unique Feature ID is -355296.

### Administrative Hierarchy and Governance

Moquegua functions as the capital city of the Moquegua Department (also referred to as the Moquegua region), one of Peru's administrative departments. It simultaneously serves as the capital of the Mariscal Nieto Province. The city falls administratively within the Moquegua District. Peru itself has been a sovereign state since its independence on July 28, 1821. Wikidata explicitly records that the city entity is "different from" the Moquegua Department entity, clarifying a common point of confusion.

### Population and Demographics

Peru's National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) provides two census-based population figures for Moquegua. The 2007 census recorded 50,799 inhabitants. The 2017 census, which serves as the preferred reference value, recorded 69,882 inhabitants. Both figures were sourced from official INEI publications. The masculine singular demonym for residents is "moqueguano."

### Historical and Colonial Heritage

The city's full formal name is "Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar del Valle de Moquegua," with documented variant spellings including "Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua," "Villa de Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua," "Santa Catalina de Guadalcazar de Moquegua," and "Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar de Moquegua." These names reflect its colonial-era founding under Spanish rule. The city's patron saint is Fortunata.

### Reference Works and Scholarly Documentation

Moquegua has been described or referenced in several major encyclopedic works. It appears in the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition under the statement subject "1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Moquegua." It is also documented in Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890), under statement subject . Additional modern reference coverage includes the Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana (ID: moquegua; former scheme ID: 0453140) and the Encyclopædia Britannica Online (ID: place/Moquegua-Peru). The Bibliothèque nationale de France catalogs it under ID 12489444p.

### Sports and Local Institutions

Cobresol, an association football club founded in 2008, is headquartered in Moquegua (Wikidata entity ). The club represents the city in Peruvian football and is identified as a Peruvian organization.

### International Twinning Relationships

Moquegua maintains formal twinning (sister-city) agreements with two cities: Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and La Paz in Bolivia. These relationships reflect shared cultural, historical, and linguistic heritage across the Spanish-speaking world.

### Multilingual Presence and Digital Identity

Moquegua's Wikipedia article exists in 33 language editions, including Spanish, English, German, French, Russian, Chinese (both standard and Wu), Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Quechua, Aymara, Cebuano, Waray, Persian, Finnish, Hungarian, Georgian, Korean, Latin, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, Simple English, Swedish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Belarusian (both modern and old orthography), Asturian, Catalan, Italian, and the Wikimedia Commons. The entry has a sitelink count of 34 and its main Wikimedia Commons category is "Moquegua," with a corresponding commons gallery.

### Authority Records and External Identifiers

Moquegua is cataloged in numerous international authority files and databases:

- **VIAF ID:** 124321294
- **GND ID:** 4262142-2
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n79051893
- **GeoNames ID:** 3934608
- **Freebase ID:** /m/04r1rx
- **Bibliothèque nationale de France ID:** 12489444p
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007561812605171
- **WorldCat Entities ID:** E39PBJqKcW8TbKyfcGWf6vhPwC
- **Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID:** moquegua (former scheme: 0453140)
- **archinform location ID:** 7048
- **WOEID:** 418556
- **OpenStreetMap Node ID:** 1815856037
- **Yale LUX ID:** place/29923855-be87-4e4a-8640-c50a71ea6823
- **FactGrid Item ID:** Roland Gewalt

### Visual Symbols

The city has documented heraldic and vexillological emblems. Its coat of arms image is available and hosted on Wikimedia Commons under the filename "Escudo_Moquegua_Perú.png." The city's flag image is also available, hosted as "Bandera_de_Moquegua.svg." A photograph of the Plaza de Armas de Moquegua serves as a representative image of the city.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [2007 Peru Census](https://www.inei.gob.pe/media/MenuRecursivo/publicaciones_digitales/Est/Lib1539/libro.pdf)
5. [2017 Peru Census](https://www.inei.gob.pe/media/MenuRecursivo/publicaciones_digitales/Est/Lib1539/libro.pdf)
6. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
7. GeoNames
8. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/pe.htm)
9. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
10. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File