The name Huaraz comes from “waraq”, a word in quechua which means sunrise. The origins of Huaraz go back to the Pre-Inca period, when the first human settlement took place close to the rivers Quilcay and Santa. It has been verified the human presence in the area of Callejón de Huaylas since 10.000 B. C., when the human beings were dedicated to harvest and hunting; this is testified by the Guitarrero cave in front of Mancos village. It was the chavín culture that was developed in this area during the Horizonte Temprano. Many years later, Spanish people founded the city as San Sebastián de Huaraz, in 1574 and Simón Bolívar called the city “noble and generous”, because of its support to the liberating army during the independence of Peru. It was also called the “capital of international friendship”, in recognition of its help to the victims of the earthquake of 1970 in Áncash; on the seism 20.000 people from Huaraz died and 95% of the city was reduced to ashes.Huaraz is the capital of Áncash department and is considered the “Peruvian Switzerland” for being located on the surroundings of the snowy mountain of Cordillera Blanca. The development of Huaraz is based in the agriculture, trade and tourism, because in Huaraz is concentrated most of the tourist activity of the Sierra de Áncash.