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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 Nš 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. |
