History:
The archeological sites in Cusco date from times before the Inca period because the civilization in Cusco started, at least, 1000 years before the Christian era, when it was the time of the Marcavalle Culture. The Chamepata culture was born from this civilization, contemporary of Pucara culture in Puno. Its history ends at the beginnig of our age because of the conquest by the Waris, who incorporated it to their empire.
After Wari, the region grew thanks to the Killke culture first and to the Inca culture later. The city of Pikillacta belongs to the Wari times, and Sacsayhuaman and the basis of Cusco belong to the Killke period.

In the past, Cusco was the center of the Inca civilization. This city was the capital of the Andean State of Tahuantinsuyo. The legend says that Cusco was founded by Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo between the 11th and 12th centuries. 
Later, on March 23rd, 1534, by order of Francisco Pizarro, the city was founded again by the Spanish under their dominion.

Geography:
Cusco is one of the widest departments of Peru. Its landscapes are characterized by the pronounced contrasts where high mountains are found with wide high plains, plain relief plateaus and deep canyons and valleys.
The Western Andes range, which is the spinal dorsal of this department, has been hardly eroded by the complex hydrography draining to the jungle and by the glaciers which had an unusual activity in the last thousand years.
From the original Western Andes range, we have today three mountain chains that go from South East to North West. These chains are the Vilcabamba chain, which defines the Urubamba and Apurimac hydrographic systems by the tops of the Salkantay and Pumasillo Peaks. The other chain is the Vilcanota chain with its most important peak, the Ausangate which is also the highest of the department. And the third one is the Paucartambo chain, smaller than the other two.
In Cusco, there are also lower-elevation mountains with more local characteristics as a result from the erosion of the Andean altiplano by the rivers formed by the Andean chains. The two most important sectors are the Vilcabamba area which includes the Valley of Cusco with the most important peak, the Huanacaure. The other sector is in North, the mountain region of Cusco with its highest peak, the Pachatusan.

As in every Andean region, the main rivers and its tributaries have originated deep valleys and canyons. The most important ones are formed by the Urubamba, Apurimac and Paucartambo rivers.

The ground of Urubamba Valley has thick alluvial deposits, where a big population devoted to the agriculture, has settled. The Urubamba River has formed a deep and narrow canyon under the 2000 m.a.s.l. which has the most beautiful and rare landscape of meanders near to Machu Picchu. Due to the diversity of the altitudinal levels, the department has a great variety of climates and landscapes, which has a powerfull influence on agriculture and the distribution of population.

General Information:
Cusco, the Archeological Capital of America, was the main city of the Empire of Tahuantinsuyo, considered by the Incas as the “Navel of the World”.
Nowadays, it is the first tourist place of Peru and has been declared as Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity by the UNESCO.
Everything in Cusco is beautiful, because we find here all the histoty of the legendary Peru, from its foundation until the Spanish conquerors’departure. There are some important nearby archeological sites as the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Kenko, the hot springs of TamboMachay, the Pisac terraces, the Ollantaytambo Fortress and the unique constructions of Machu Picchu, in the bank of the Urubamba River, discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, known today as the “Capital of America” or the “Eternal City”.

Cusco has become the most important tourist center of Peru because of the lots of museums and churches. The Inca trails, which were used by the ancient Peruvians to get to the citadel of Machu Picchu, give us the chance to find innumerable Inca constructions, which combined with the nature, show a global vision of the magnificence and importance that Machu Picchu had.

Awards:

• In 1933 in the city of La Plata, Argentina, the Congress of Americanists declared the city of Cusco as the “Archeological Capital of America”.
• Later, in 1978, the 7th Convention of Mayors of Great World Cities met in the Italian city of Milan and declared Cusco as “Cultural Heritage of the World”.
• Finally, on December 9th, 1983, in Paris, France; the UNESCO declared the city and mainly its historical center as “Cultural Patrimony of Humanity”.
• On December 22nd, 1983, by means of Law Nº 23765 the Peruvian government declared the city as "Tourist Capital of Peru" as well as " Cultural Patrimony of the Nation".
• The 1993 Peruvian Constitution declares Cusco as the “Historic Capital of Peru”.
• On July 7th, Machu Picchu was elected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

General Information:
Surface: 71,892 km2
Foundation date: April 26th, 1822 as a department.
Main Resources: maeze, barley, quinoa, tea and coffee. In the mining field, gold has to be mentionned.
Population: 1 097,000 inhabitants. Its capital, Cusco, has 93,187 inhabitants.
Provinces and districts: 13 provinces and 107 districts.