POLITIC DIVISION

At the arrival of the Spaniards, Cusco was the capital of the Tahuantinsuyo or Inca Empire, the greater political organization of pre-Columbian America. During the Spanish viceroyalty, the territory of the present department of Cusco was distributed between different corregimientos or territorial division. In the XVIII century, the Borbonicus Reforms altered the administrative division of the American colonies and progressively introduced the regime of Intendats as a replacement of the criticized Corregimientos. One of new Intendants was Cusco, created in 1784. Parallelly there was created the Audiencia (province tribunal) of the Cusco, which had been one of the reclamations of the subjected rebellion of Túpac Amaru. After independence, the Intendat was transformed into the department of Cusco, recognized by the regulation of elections of the 26 of April of 1822

With a territorial extension of 72,104.49 km2, Cusco has more land than the 120 smaller countries of the world.  It has a population of 1’171,403 inhabitants (estimation of the INEI to the year 2007). Its capital, Cusco city, is located at 3399 meters above the sea level, on the left margin of the Huatanay river. Politically, Cusco is divided in 13 provinces (Acomayo, Anta, Calca, Canas, Canchis, Cusco, Chumbivilcas, Espinar, La Convencion, Paruro, Paucartambo, Quispicanchis and Urubamba) and 107 districts. The most important cities are Cusco, Quillamba and Sicuani.