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NAME OF THE CITY.-
There is some uncertainty about the correct name of the city. According
to some chroniclers, in the first centuries of the existence of this
most important city in pre-Columbian South-America, its name was Akamama
that according to Guaman Poma de Ayala means "chicha's mother" (chicha
is a fermented corn beer). Possibly it was Aqhamama -in the modern
Quechua spelling- or "chicha mother". Surely that name became useless by
the beginning of the Inkan development. When this was the ancient
Capital of the Tawantinsuyo, it was named as Qosqo, word that is
translated as "navel" or "center". That is the regular name for any
Quechua speaking Andean Man. After the Spanish invasion in 1533 the name
was transformed into Cuzco, word that according to the Spanish language
dictionary is contemptuous, meaning "hypocrite", "humpback" and "small
dog". This was a way to minimize or satirize the name of the city. Later
the name was changed into Cusco, because over here "z" is not pronounced
as in Spain. By the end of the XX century a very strong social movement
is willing to preserve the original name of this ancient city; thus
since June 20, 1990, the City's Municipality by means of Town Council
Agreement Nº 078-A/MC-SG-90 stated that the official name is Qosqo.
POPULATION.-
The population in Qosqo City by the beginning of the XXI century is
projected to be 300,000 inhabitants. The annual growth rate is
approximately 4%. In 1821 after 3 centuries of Spanish colonial
administration, this city had about 40,000 people. In the Tawantinsuyo's
apogee it should had between 225 to 300 thousand inhabitants.
ALTITUDE.-
The altitude is 3,400 meters above sea level (11,150 feet). Some persons
not used to the high altitude get problems as a consequence of the
oxygen scarcity. 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 their hearts
and lungs bigger. Their blood contains a higher amount of red cells too.
Scarcity of oxygen produces in some people the altitude sickness that is
also known as soroche or sickness of Monge. The symptoms include
sleeplessness, headaches, increased excitability, shortness of breath,
and a lower threshold of pain and taste. Tendon reflexes slow down and
there may be loss of weight, thyroid deficiency, lung edema, or
infections. 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.
LATITUDE.-
13° 30' 45". Our latitude indicates that we should have a tropical or
equatorial weather, but it is not like that. Qosqo is cooler because of
its high altitude.
LONGITUDE.-
71° 58' 33". We are 5 hours later than the Greenwich Mean Time.
TEMPERATURE.-
It is relatively cool. The annual average in the city is between 10.3°
to 11.3° Celsius (50.54° to 52.34° Fahrenheit). Over here there is some
uniformity in temperature between summer and winter. Normally it is
somewhat cold at nighttime and during the first hours in the early
morning while that at midday temperature increases considerably. During
the early mornings in June and July temperature frequently drops to 5°
and 7°C below zero (23° and 19.4°F).
RAINFALL.-
The altitude in which Qosqo is found and its proximity to the equator
make the city's climate so special. There are just 2 well-defined
seasons: a dry season and another rainy one. The dry season is from May
to October and the rainy season 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: 1'285,215 Km² (496,221 mile²)
Inka Region: 175,280 Km² (67,676 mile²)
Qosqo Department: 76,225 Km² (29,430 mile²)
Qosqo Province: 523 Km² (202 mile²)
FLORA.-
The original landscape of the valley in which the city is located has
suffered some important changes. Pre-Columbian civilizations were
ecologist cultures that learned to respect and live along with nature.
In ancient times the grounds have been covered with sparse grasses, ichu
(Stipa ichu) a native bunch grass, bushes and low trees. Among the most
important native plants and bushes are: ñucchu (Salvia oppositiflora),
yerba mora or ccaya-ccaya (Solanum nigrum), cow's tongue or llaque (Rumex
crispus), male llanten or waqa kallo (Plantago hirtella), minor nettle
or quisa (Urtica urens), yawar ch'onka (Oenothera rosea), ch'iri-ch'iri
(Grindela boliviana), cancer herb (Stachys bogotensis), trinitaria or
wallwa (Psoralea mexicana), q'eto-q'eto (Gnaphalium spicatum), wild
tobacco or qhamasayri (Nicotiana paniculata), supai karko (Nicotiana
glauca), dog thornbush or alkoquiska (Xanthium spinosum), dandelion or
pilli-pilli (Taraxacum officinale), muña (Minthostachys spicata),
chicchipa (Tagetes mandoni), verbena (Verbena litoralis), t'ankar quiska
(Solanum pseudolicioides), llaulli (Barnadesia horrida), kantu (Cantua
buxifolia) -a bush having red or yellow flowers that are considered as
the Peruvian national flowers-, marqhu (Ambrosia peruviana), q'era (Lupinus
condesuflorus), manca p'aki (Eupatorium sternbergianum), rata-rata (Abutilon
arboreum), runto-runto (Calceolaria cuneiformis), angel's trumpet or
floripondio (Datura arborea), red angel's trumpet (Datura sanguinea),
roq'e (Colletia spinosissima), panti (Cosmos peucedanifolius), mountain
ginger (Canna iridiflora), achupalla (Pitcairnia ferruginea), kcayara
(Puya herrerrae), aguaimanto (Prunus), chunta paqpa (Fourcroya andina),
century plant or paqpa (Agave americana), prickly pear or tuna (Opuntia
ficus indica), p'ata quiska (Opuntia exaltata), jawaq'ollay or giant
cactus (Trichocereus cuzcoensis), atoq-wakachi (Opuntia tunicata), niwa
(Cortadería rudiuscula), ch'illca (Baccharis polyanta), maych'a or
árnica (Senecio pseudotites), begonia or achankarai (Begonia sp.), etc.
Among the most important native trees are: chachacomo (Escallonia
resinosa), molle or false pepper (Schinus molle), kiswar (Buddleia
longifolia or incana), qolle (Buddleia coriácea), elderberry or sauco (Sambucus
peruviana), capuli cherry (Physalis peruviana), lloq'e (Kageneckia
lanceolata), tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), huayruro (Citharexylum herrerae),
alder tree or lambran (Alnus jorulensis), cedar (Cedrela herrerae),
coral tree or pisonay (Erythrina falcata), weeping willow (Salix
humboldtiana), waranway (Tecoma sambucifolia), q'euña (Polylepis incana
or racemosa), etc.
Since colonial days people from the city have been exterminating slowly
many bushes and almost all of the valley's native trees for use as
firewood. Today the trees that dominate our valleys are eucalyptus (Eucalyptus
globulus), imported from Australia in the 1880s. Another element that
has changed the original landscape of the valley is the grass known as
kikuyo (Pennisetun clandestinum), grass native from Eritrea and
Abyssinia -present day Ethiopia- that was brought from Kenya and planted
first in the Qosqo Valley in 1928. In the very beginning it was imported
with ornamental purposes and as cattle pasture. Today it grows wildly
even in the very high Andean Mountains as a pest that reduces the
farmlands. It is appreciated by cattlemen but hated by farmers.
OROGRAPHY .-
The Qosqo Valley is located by the mid-west of the Peruvian Andes, not
so far away from what is known as the "Vilcanota Node". Mountains around
it contain mainly sedimentary rocks. However, there is an important
limestone formation and some "stocks" or outcrop igneous formations.
Among the most important mountains surrounding Qosqo City, named
clockwise are: on the northern side Saqsaywaman, Pukamoqo, Socorro and
farther away Senqa (4400 mts., 14432 ft.) and the Fortaleza (4193 mts.,
13750 ft.). Advancing to the east side are the Pikol (4482 mts., 14700
ft.) and the range of Pachatusan (4842 mts., 15880 ft.). Towards the
Southeast are the Machu Loma, the mythological Wanakauri (4080 mts.,
13382 ft.), Santa Ana; farther south is the Anawarque (4050 mts., 13284
ft.), Qachona, and closer the Choqo, Araja, Muyu-Orqo and the Condoroma
which closer side to the city is named Araway Qhata where today the sign
"Viva el Perú" ("Long life for Peru") is found; to the southwest are the
Pukín, Waman Charpa and further away the Mama Simona (4300 mts., 14105
ft.). Dominating the western side are the K'illki and Picchu (3820 mts.,
12530 ft.). On the top of the Picchu Mountain today many microwave
antennas are placed.
Besides, in the Qosqo Region there are also some very important mountain
chains, standing out the Cordillera (Range of Mountains) of Vilcanota
towards the city's east and which highest peak is the Ausangate over
6372 mts. (20905 ft.); the Cordillera of Urubamba towards the northwest
with its highest peak La Veronica over 5682 mts. (18641 ft.); and the
Cordillera of Vilcabamba toward the west and which highest summit is the
Salkantay over 6271 mts. (20574 ft.).
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