virreinato del Perú

The Virreinato del Perú, or Viceroyalty of Peru, was a colonial administrative division established by Spain in the early 16th century, following the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. It encompassed a vast region of South America, including present-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and parts of Chile and Argentina. Governed by a viceroy, the region served as a key center for Spanish colonization, trade, and missionary activity. The viceroyalty played a significant role in the economic and cultural development of the region until the early 19th century, when independence movements led to its dissolution.