The National Bank of Peru

Arequipa, unlike other big Peruvian cities with mestizo and indigenous features, has been labeled as a "Spanish island in an indigenous sea" and because of its status as a "natural oasis". Culture in Arequipa is marked by the regionalism of its inhabitants; in fact, unlike other regional sentiments within Peru, Arequipa's regionalism was connected to the fight against centralism. This proud regionalism, expressed in numerous insurrections or revolutions, has earned the city the nickname "Ciudad Caudillo" (Warlord City). As Peruvian historian Jorge Basadre argued, "Arequipa is a gun pointed at the heart of Lima", alluding to the rivalry between the two cities.