Location and Extent of the Inca Empire

The Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) was the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, centered in the Andes Mountains of South America.

Geographic Scope (at peak, early 1500s)

• North: Modern Ecuador (Quito region)
• South: Central Chile (Maule River) and NW Argentina (Mendoza/Tucumán)
• East: Upper Amazon basin (tropical foothills)
• West: Pacific coast

Core Region

Cusco (modern Peru) was the capital and spiritual center. The empire spanned ~2 million km² and 10–12 million people, connected by the Qhapaq Ñan (Inca road system, 40,000 km).

Timeframe

Rise: early 13th century. Peak: 1438–1533. Fall: Spanish conquest (1532–1572).

The Inca legacy endures in Quechua language, agricultural terraces, and iconic sites like Machu Picchu.