Cusco Shield or Coat of Arms

Cusco Flag

Location

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, a country which is their historic capital, is also capital of the Department of Cusco, located on the eastern slopes of the Andes, in Huatanay River, a tributary of Vilcanota. In south eastern Andes of Peru, in the jurisdiction of the province and department of Cusco, at an approximate altitude of 3.399 meters, the city is 13 ° 30 '45 "south latitude and 71 ° 58' 33" W. to from Greenwich. 

To the north it borders the jungle of Junín and Ucayali departments; on the south by southwest, to Arequipa and Puno, on the east, bordering much of the Amazon jungle and the plains of Madre de Dios, and to the west, is joined to the mountains of the Apurimac and Ayacucho Jungle. 

Formerly, it was the capital of the Inca Empire and one of the major cities of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1983, becoming comparable due to the large number of monuments which has, like the "Rome of America", now is the largest tourist destination in Peru, with an annual inflow of about one million annual visitors in 2008.

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Fact Sheet

Official creation: Cusco department was create by the regulation of elections the 26 of April, 1822.
Extension: 72,104.41 Km² (5,61% of the national territory).
Population: 1,171,403 habitantes (National Census 2007).
Limits:

• North: Ucayali.
• South: Arequipa.
• West: Junin, Ayacucho and Apurimac.
• East: Madre de Dios and Puno.

Temperature: Anual average of 11°C (Maximum of 17°C and Minimum of -2°C).
Politic divition: 13 provinces: Cusco, Acomayo, Anta, Calca, Canas, Canchis, Chumbivilcas, Espinar, La Convención, Paruro, Paucartambo, Quispicanchi and Urubamba. 107 disctrits.
Capital: Cusco (3,399 meters above the sea level M.A.S.L.).
Important citys: Cusco, Quillabamba, Sicuani and Urubamba.
Official tongues: Spanish and Quechua (Incas languaje).
Climate variety:

• Hot: humid and dry.
• Tempered: humid and dry.
• Cold: humid and dry.

Natural regions: Highlands (Andes) and Jungle (Amazonian plain).

Cusco, is without any doubt , the touristic destiny more visited of Peru and one of the most important in the world, for their innumerable historical, archeological, folclorical, artistic and natural attractions. Cusco or Qosqo, as their citizens prefer to call the city, was nominated the “Archeological capital of America” and it was consider by the UNESCO as ”Historical patrimony of the humanity”. The sacred city of Cusco was the capital of the most advance civilization of all South America; The Incas Empire or Tahuantinsuyo (Tawantinsuyo) and later, the main center of meeting of the Andean and Hispanic cultures. The last characteristic has allowed the region to maintain alive and strong their ancient traditions and walked with proud to the meeting with modernity.

Too many times to talked of Perú is to talked of Cusco and the imposisng Inca city of Machu Picchu, declared “Cultural patrimony of humanity” by the UNESCO. Nevertheless, Cusco department is more than that. The Inca Trail is the most famous trekking route of South America. One of the most greater celebrations of Indian nationalities of the world, the Qoyllur Rit’i, takes place on the foot of the sacred snow-covered mountain Ausangate; also, their glad and hospitable settlers characterize themselves to show with satisfaction the infinite wealth of the city and rural attractions, the beauty of the colorful traditional celebrations and, by mainly, the magical spirit that guide the rich popular imagination like one of the constituent elements of the Andean identity.