Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru (in Spanish, Virreinato del Perú) contained most of Spanish-ruled South America until the creation of the separate viceroyalties of New Granada (now Colombia, Ecuador, Panamá and Venezuela, the last-named previously in the Viceroyalty of New Spain) in 1717 and Río de la Plata (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay) in 1776. The Viceroyalty ended with the independence of the republics of Chile (1818) and Peru (1821).
During the 17th century the Viceroyalty contained six audiencias or provincial administrations: Panamá, Santa Fé de Bogotá (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador), Lima (Peru proper), Charcas (Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay) and Chile.
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