Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba
Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital
of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province.
In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which
was triple the figure of 20 years ago. Located on
the eastern end of the Knot of Cuzco, its elevation
is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft).
Central Square, Cuzco, Peru
Cusco was the site of the historic capital of the
Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site
in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination
and receives almost 2 million visitors a year. It
is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by
the Constitution of Peru.
Until the late 18th century Cusco was the most populous
city in the continent, even more than Lima. But because
of the great revolution of Túpac Amaru II in
1780, the white population migrated to Arequipa, considered
safer from a possible new uprising. So, until the
20th century, the population was largely mestizo and
indigenous, but now the white population has grown
significantly in the city as high as 30%, as it is
experiencing a demographic explosion process led by
the tourism boom.
The city has a population of 390,000 people by 2008
according to INEI.
Honors
In 1933, the Congress of Americanists met in La
Plata, Argentina and declared the city as the Archeological
Capital of the Americas.
In 1978, the 7th Convention of Mayors of Great World
Cities met in Milan, Italy and declared Cusco a Cultural
Heritage of the World.
In 1983, UNESCO, in Paris, France declared the city
a World Heritage Site. The Peruvian government declared
it the Tourism Capital of Peru and Cultural Heritage
of the Nation.
In 2007, the New7Wonders Foundation designated Machu
Picchu one of the New Seven Wonders of the World,
following a worldwide poll.
Climate
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen
Cwb). Its climate is generally dry and temperate,
with two defined seasons. The dry season lasts from
April through October, with abundant sunshine, and
occasional nighttime freezes: July is the coolest
month with an average of 9.6 °C (49.3 °F).
The wet season lasts from November to March, with
night frost less common: November averages 13.4 °C
(56.1 °F). Although frost and hail are common,
snow is virtually unheard of. The only-one snowfall
was recorded in June 1911.
Cusco was found in 2006 to be the spot on Earth with
the highest ultraviolet light level.
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