Apurímac is one of the twenty-four departments that, together with the Constitutional Province of Callao, form the Republic of Peru. Its capital is Abancay and its most populated city, Andahuaylas. It is located in the country's centers, in the Andean region bordering the north and east with Cuzco, to the south with Arequipa and to the west with Ayacucho. With 20 896 km² it is the fifth less extensive department, ahead of Tacna, Moquegua, Lambayeque and Tumbes, the least extensive. It was founded on April 28,1873. Geologically, it is located on the eastern slope of the Cordillera de los Andes. Its territory is one of the most rugged in the country.
It is furrowed from south to north by several rivers through deep canyons to its junction with the Apurímac River in one of the largest depressions in the region. The territory of Apurima was occupied by the Chankas and the Incas until the Spanish occupation. It includes seven provincesː Andahuaylas, Abancay, Aymares, Antabamba, Chincheros, Grau and Cotabambas. It has a population of 449 365 mainly rural and Quechua speakers. The economy is based mainly on agriculture, services and a growing mining activity.