MIRAFLORES

city and district of the LimaCallao metropolitan area of Peru, south of central Lima on the Pacific coast. The city abounds in bougainvillea for most of the year; thus, in the mid-16th century, while still an Inca Indian village, it came to be known by its present name (meaning look at the flowers). Although an 1850 census mentioned it as a district of Lima, it was not legally declared such until 1866. It was involved in the battles of La Palma (a civil war engagement in 1855 that led to Ramn Castilla's victory) and of Miraflores (which led to the Chilean occupation of Lima in 1881). Miraflores is primarily a residential city, with beach resort facilities; it has some commercial enterprises and is the site of the Peruvian University of Science and Technology. To the northeast of the city is the Huaca Juliana, an Indian religious shrine. Pop. (1981 prelim.) district, 101,945.