Usefull Informatión Cusco General Information

Name of the City
There are different theories about the name of the city. In the first centuries of the existence of this important city, during the pre-Columbian times, the city was called Aqamama, which means “Mother of chicha”. Chicha is fermented corn beer.

Population
The population of Qosqo city is around 300,000 inhabitants. The annual growth rate is approximately 4 percent. During the time of the Tawantinsuyo there were around 225,000 to 300,000 people in the city. After three centuries of the Spanish colonial administration the city had about 40,000 inhabitants.

Altitude
The altitude is 3,400 meters or 11,500 feet. Some people not used to high altitude experience problems due to the scarcity of oxygen. There is an inverse relationship: the higher the altitude, the smaller the amount of oxygen. That phenomenon makes changes in people who live in high altitudes; they develop larger hearts and lungs.

Their blood contains a higher amount of red cells, too. In some people the scarcity of oxygen produces altitude sickness also known as soroche or sickness of the monge. The symptoms include sleeplessness, headaches, increased excitability, shortness of breath, and a lower threshold for pain and taste.

Tendon reflexes slow down and there may be loss of weight, thyroid deficiency, lung edema, or infection. Women may experience dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea, and many people experience psychological or mental disturbances. For some people it may take days, weeks or even years to adjust to some altitudes.

Longitude
78° 58’ 33”: We are five hours later than the Greenwich Mean Time.

Temperature
It is relatively cool in Cusco. The annual average temperature in the city is between 10.3°to 11.3° Celsius or 50.54° to 52.34° Fahrenheit. Here there is some uniformity of temperature between summer and winter. Normally it is somewhat cooler at nighttime and during the first hours in the early morning while at midday the temperature increases considerably. During the early mornings in June and July the temperature frequently drops to 5° and 7° below zero (23° and 19°f.)

Rainfall
The altitude in which Cusco is found and its proximity to the equator make the city’s climate very special. There are just two well-defined seasons: a dry season and a rainy season. The dry season is from May to October while the rainy season lasts from November to April. Generally rainfall fluctuates between 600 to 880 mm. per year, that is between 31,5 to 34.5 inches. HUMIDITY In the lower section of the Qosqo valley there is an annual humidity average of 64%. AREA Peruvian republic 1285.215km (496,221 mile) Cusco region 175,280km (67,676 mile) Qosqo province 76.225km (29,430 mile) Qosqo province 523km (202 mile)

Humidity
In the lower section of the Qosqo valley there is an annual humidity average of 64%.