Cusco, also spelled Cuzco (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkusko]; Quechua: Qusqu suyu [ˈqɔsqɔ ˈsʊjʊ]), 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.
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Cusco Region in the context of Cusco
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 1524, 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 and many others. The Constitution of Peru (1993) designates the city as the Historical Capital of Peru.
Cusco Region in the context of Cusco Province
The province of Cusco is located in the southern highlands of Peru and is the smallest of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region. Its capital is Cusco, which is also the Historical Capital of Peru.
It is bordered to the north by the provinces of Calca and Urubamba, to the east by the province of Quispicanchi, to the south by the province of Paruro, and to the west by the province of Anta. It has a population of 447,588 inhabitants.
Cusco Region in the context of Cordillera Oriental (Peru)
The Cordillera Oriental is a mountain range (cordillera) that forms the eastern branch of the Andes in Peru. It contains Paleozoic metamorphic rocks and runs through the entire country, from the Ecuadorian border in the north to the Bolivian border in the south. It has an approximate length of 1,800 km and is located along the edge of the Peruvian Amazon. The range crosses the departments of Amazonas, Loreto, San Martín, Huánuco, Ucayali, Pasco, Junín, Cusco, Madre de Dios, and Puno.
It includes many subsidiary ranges such as the Vilcanota, Vilcabamba, Urubamba and Carabaya mountain ranges and peaks above 6,000 m such as Salcantay.
Cusco Region in the context of Urubamba Province
Urubamba is one of thirteen provinces in the Cusco Region in the southern highlands of Peru.