Cusco
Cusco
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|---|---|
Plaza de Armas with Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in the background Calle Suecia | |
| Nicknames: La Ciudad Imperial (The Imperial City), El Ombligo del Mundo (The Navel of the World) | |
| Anthem: Himno del Cusco Qosqo yupaychana taki (English: "Anthem of Cusco") | |
Interactive map of Cusco | |
Cusco Location within Peru Cusco Location within South America Cusco Location within Earth | |
| Coordinates: 13°31′01″S 71°58′43″W / 13.5169°S 71.9786°W | |
| Country | Peru |
| Region | Cusco |
| Province | Cusco |
| Founded | 23 March 1534 |
| Founded by | Francisco Pizarro |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Municipality of Cusco |
| • Mayor | Víctor G. Boluarte Medina |
| Area | |
• Total | 385.1 km2 (148.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3,399 m (11,152 ft) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 428,450 |
| • Rank | 7th in Peru |
| • Density | 1,113/km2 (2,882/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | cuzqueño/a, cusqueño/a |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $4.2 billion |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (PET) |
| UBIGEO | 08000 |
| Area code | 84 |
| Website | Preview warning: No official website (P856) found in wikidata. Nothing will be displayed. |
| Official name | City of Cusco |
| Location | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Criteria | Cultural: iii, iv |
| Reference | 273 |
| Inscription | 1983 (7th Session) |
| Area | 142.48 ha (352.1 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 284.93 ha (704.1 acres) |
Cusco or Cuzco (Latin American Spanish: [ˈkusko]; Quechua: Qosqo or Qusqu, both pronounced in Cuzco Quechua as [ˈqosqɔ]) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range, and the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Cusco Province and Cusco Department. It has historically been one of the largest cultural, economic and political centers of Peru.
The city was originally founded in the 12th century as the capital of the Inca Empire. The region was conquered in the 16th century by the Spanish and reestablished on 23 March 1534, with most of the city being constructed over monuments left from the Inca Empire. In 1983, Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with the title "City of Cusco". It has become a major tourist destination, hosting over 2 million visitors a year and providing passage to numerous Incan ruins, such as Machu Picchu, one of the Seven modern wonders of the world. The Constitution of Peru (1993) designates the city as the Historical Capital of Peru.
Cusco is the seventh-most populous city in Peru; in 2017, it had a population of 428,450. It is also the largest city in the Peruvian Andes and the region is the seventh-most populous metropolitan area of Peru. Its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). The largest district in the city is the Cusco District, which had a population of 114,630 in 2017, making up about one quarter of the city's total population.