Pisco

Port in the department of Ica, southern Peru, 200 km/124 mi south of Lima; population (1996) 112,974. It is located near the Pan-American Highway and is served by a regional airport. The city has two distinct areas; Pisco Pueblo and Pisco Puerto. Pisco Pueblo is an old Spanish colonial town, with many traditional buildings. Pisco Puerto is a modern industrial city and port; however, the export of cotton, grapes, and wine from the Ica, Pisco, and Chincha valleys, as well as coffee and minerals, is now largely handled by a new deep-water port built at nearby Puerto General San Martín.