Department of Cusco

{{Short description|Departments of Peru}}{{Other uses|Cusco (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox settlement | name = Cusco | native_name = {{small|''Qusqu'' (Aymara and Quechua)}} | settlement_type = Department | image_skyline = Machu Picchu, 2023 (012).jpg | image_caption = Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Inca | image_flag = Flag of Cusco (2021).svg | flag_link = Flag of Cusco | image_shield = Cusco Emblem.svg | shield_size = 60 | nickname = | motto = | image_map = Peru - Cuzco Department (locator map).svg | map_caption = Location of Cusco within Peru | coordinates = {{coord|-13.26|-72.11|type:adm1st_region:PE|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Peru | established_date = {{dts|1822|04|26|df=y}} | seat_type = Capital | seat = Cusco | parts_type = Provinces | p1 = Acomayo | p2 = Anta | p3 = Calca | p4 = Canas | p5 = Canchis | p6 = Chumbivilcas | p7 = Cusco | p8 = Espinar | p9 = La Convención | p10 = Paruro | p11 = Paucartambo | p12 = Quispicanchi | p13 = Urubamba | government_type = Regional Government | leader_title = Governor | leader_name = Jean Paul Benavente García <ref name="Gobernador Regional del Cusco">{{cite web|title=Gobernador Regional del Cusco|url=http://www.regioncusco.gob.pe/gobernador|website=Gobierno Regional del Cusco|publisher=Gobierno Regional del Cusco|access-date=8 February 2019|archive-date=28 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228004608/http://www.regioncusco.gob.pe/gobernador/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | unit_pref = Metric | area_total_km2 = 71986 | elevation_footnotes = (Capital) | elevation_m = 3399 | elevation_max_m = 4801 | elevation_min_m = 532 | population_total = {{profit}} 1380600 | population_as_of = 2022 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = {{lang|es|cusqueño/a}} | postal_code_type = UBIGEO | postal_code = 08 | area_code_type = Dialing code | area_code = 0484 | iso_code = PE-CUS | website = [http://www.regioncusco.gob.pe/ www.regioncusco.gob.pe/] | blank_name_sec1 = Principal resources | blank_info_sec1 = Gold, maize, barley, quinoa, and tea | blank2_name_sec1 = Poverty rate | blank2_info_sec1 = {{DecreasePositive}} 20.3% | blank3_name_sec1 = Percentage of Peru's GDP | blank3_info_sec1 = 4.4% }} '''Cusco''', also spelled '''Cuzco''' ({{IPA|es|ˈkusko}}; Aymara and Quechua: ''Qusqu'' {{IPA|qu|ˈqɔsqɔ|}}), is a department of Peru. It is the fourth-largest in the country, after Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto, and borders the departments of Ucayali on the north; Madre de Dios and Puno on the east; Arequipa on the south; and Apurímac, Ayacucho and Junín on the west. It is administered by a regional government. Its capital is Cusco, the historical capital of the Inca Empire.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.regioncusco.gob.pe/ |title=Official page (in Spanish) |access-date=2009-03-27 |archive-date=2009-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306111957/http://regioncusco.gob.pe/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History== The department was created by the ''Reglamento Provisional de Elecciones'', published on April 26, 1822, which established the department of Cuzco alongside those of Arequipa, Huamanga, Huancavelica and Puno.<ref>{{Cite news |title=¿Qué se celebra el 26 de abril y por qué es importante para cinco departamentos peruanos? |date=2025-04-26 |url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-que-se-celebra-26-abril-y-por-es-importante-para-cinco-departamentos-peruanos-1027185.aspx |work=Andina}}</ref>

==Geography== [[File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Cusco, 2001-2024.png|thumb|right|upright=1.1|alt=Map of Cusco showing tree-cover loss years, with forest remaining since 2000 in green and loss years shaded yellow through purple.|Tree-cover loss year in Cusco, 2001-2024, from the Global Forest Change dataset.]] The plain of Anta contains some of the best communal cultivated lands of the Department of Cusco. It is located about {{convert|3,000|m|ft}} above sea level and is used to cultivate mainly high altitude crops such as potatoes, tarwi (edible lupin), barley and quinoa.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

==Provinces== thumb|Map of provinces

* Acomayo (Acomayo) * Anta (Anta) * Calca (Calca) * Canas (Yanaoca) * Canchis (Sicuani) * Chumbivilcas (Santo Tomás) * Cusco (Cusco) * Espinar (Yauri) * La Convención (Quillabamba) * Paruro (Paruro) * Paucartambo (Paucartambo) * Quispicanchi (Urcos) * Urubamba (Urubamba)

== Languages == According to the 2007 Peru Census, the language learnt first by most of the residents was Quechua (51.40%), followed by Spanish (46.86%). The Quechua variety spoken in this department is Cusco Quechua.

The following table shows the results concerning the language learnt first in the Department of Cusco by province:<ref>[http://iinei.inei.gob.pe/iinei/RedatamCpv2007.asp?id=ResultadosCensales?ori=C inei.gob.pe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127005551/http://iinei.inei.gob.pe/iinei/RedatamCpv2007.asp?id=ResultadosCensales%3Fori%3DC |date=January 27, 2013 }} INEI, Peru, Censos Nacionales 2007</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="width:35%;" border="1" |-bgcolor=#EFEFEF ! Province ! Quechua ! Aymara ! Asháninka ! Another native language ! Spanish ! Foreign language ! Deaf or mute ! Total |- |Acomayo |align="right" |22,262 |align="right" |12 |align="right" |2 |align="right" |4 |align="right" |3,117 |align="right" |- |align="right" |52 |align="right" |25,449 |- |Anta |align="right" |36,512 |align="right" |42 |align="right" |3 |align="right" |10 |align="right" |15,248 |align="right" |8 |align="right" |132 |align="right" |51,955 |- |Calca |align="right" |43,008 |align="right" |101 |align="right" |4 |align="right" |117 |align="right" |18,128 |align="right" |13 |align="right" |142 |align="right" |61,513 |- |Canas |align="right" |32,790 |align="right" |31 |align="right" |6 |align="right" |11 |align="right" |2,910 |align="right" |- |align="right" |40 |align="right" |35,788 |- |Canchis |align="right" |53,695 |align="right" |107 |align="right" |5 |align="right" |7 |align="right" |37,702 |align="right" |2 |align="right" |120 |align="right" |91,638 |- |Chumbivilcas |align="right" |64,087 |align="right" |102 |align="right" |9 |align="right" |1 |align="right" |6,063 |align="right" |2 |align="right" |104 |align="right" |70,368 |- |Cusco |align="right" |63,675 |align="right" |781 |align="right" |94 |align="right" |306 |align="right" |282,610 |align="right" |1,521 |align="right" |466 |align="right" |349,453 |- |Espinar |align="right" |40,594 |align="right" |120 |align="right" |8 |align="right" |1 |align="right" |18,116 |align="right" |6 |align="right" |71 |align="right" |58,916 |- |La Convención |align="right" |62,145 |align="right" |276 |align="right" |2,802 |align="right" |9,278 |align="right" |81,111 |align="right" |120 |align="right" |318 |align="right" |156,050 |- |Paruro |align="right" |26,707 |align="right" |53 |align="right" |5 |align="right" |1 |align="right" |2,192 |align="right" |1 |align="right" |42 |align="right" |29,001 |- |Paucartambo |align="right" |35,996 |align="right" |95 |align="right" |15 |align="right" |207 |align="right" |5,682 |align="right" |9 |align="right" |65 |align="right" |42,069 |- |Quispicanchi |align="right" |57,587 |align="right" |152 |align="right" |11 |align="right" |12 |align="right" |18,562 |align="right" |20 |align="right" |86 |align="right" |76,430 |- |Urubamba |align="right" |27,523 |align="right" |104 |align="right" |4 |align="right" |9 |align="right" |25,075 |align="right" |823 |align="right" |68 |align="right" |53,606 |- |'''Total''' |align="right" |566,581 |align="right" |1,976 |align="right" |2,968 |align="right" |9,964 |align="right" |516,516 |align="right" |2,525 |align="right" |1,706 |align="right" |1,102,236 |- |'''%''' |align="right" |51.40 |align="right" |0.18 |align="right" |0.27 |align="right" |0.90 |align="right" |46.86 |align="right" |0.23 |align="right" |0.15 |align="right" |100.00 |- |}

== Toponyms == Many of the toponyms of the Department of Cusco originate from Quechua and also Aymara. These names are overwhelmingly predominant throughout the region. Their Spanish-based orthography, however, is in conflict with the normalised alphabets of these languages. According to Article 20 of ''Decreto Supremo No 004-2016-MC'' (Supreme Decree) which approves the Regulations to Law 29735, published in the official newspaper El Peruano on July 22, 2016, adequate spellings of the toponyms in the normalised alphabets of the indigenous languages must progressively be proposed with the aim of standardising the naming used by the National Geographic Institute The National Geographic Institute realises the necessary changes in the official maps of Peru.<ref name=decree>{{cite web|url=http://busquedas.elperuano.com.pe/normaslegales/decreto-supremo-que-aprueba-el-reglamento-de-la-ley-n-29735-decreto-supremo-n-004-2016-mc-1407753-5/|title=Decreto Supremo que aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley N° 29735, Ley que regula el uso, preservación, desarrollo, recuperación, fomento y difusión de las lenguas originarias del Perú, Decreto Supremo N° 004-2016-MC|access-date=July 17, 2017|archive-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029100122/http://busquedas.elperuano.com.pe/normaslegales/decreto-supremo-que-aprueba-el-reglamento-de-la-ley-n-29735-decreto-supremo-n-004-2016-mc-1407753-5/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Ministry of Culture additionally proposes to the municipalities of the provinces to recover ancient indigenous toponyms and that these names should be spread by the local and communal authorities on posters and other signage.<ref name=decree/>

==Notable residents==

* Raul Geller (born 1936), Peruvian-Israeli footballer

== Gallery == <gallery> File:Cuzco Décembre 2007 - Balcons.jpg|Balconies and arcades at the main square in Cusco </gallery>

== Sources == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[http://volker.umpfenbach.de/en/reisen/2006peru/2006peru03.htm Travelogue Cusco Region (Sacred Valley of the Incas)]

Category:Department of Cusco Cusco Cusco