Indigenous peoples of South America

Last updated
Indigenous peoples of South America
Total population
Approximately 18 million
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 5.9 million (2017) [1]
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia 4.1 million (2012) [2]
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 2.4 million (2017) [3]
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 1.7 million (2022) [4]
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 1.9 million (2018) [5]
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 1.3 million (2022) [6]
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 1.3 million (2023) [7]
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 724,592 (2011) [8]
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay 117,150 (2012) [9]
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 78,492 (2012) [10]
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 76,452 (2021) [11]
Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname 20,344 (2012) [12]
Flag of French Guiana.svg French Guiana ~19,000 [13]
Languages
Indigenous languages of the Americas, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani, Mapuche
Religion
Related ethnic groups
Indigenous people of the Americas
Native rights activist Felix Diaz meets Argentine President Mauricio Macri. Macri con Felix Diaz.jpg
Native rights activist Félix Díaz meets Argentine President Mauricio Macri.
Indigenous peoples in Colombia Baile de cortejo Wayuu.jpg
Indigenous peoples in Colombia

The Indigenous peoples of South America or South American Indigenous peoples, are the pre-Columbian peoples of South America and their descendants. These peoples contrast with South Americans of European ancestry and those of African descent.

Contents

In Spanish, Indigenous people are often referred to as indígenas or pueblos indígenas (lit. Indigenous peoples). They may also be called pueblos nativos or nativos (lit. Native peoples). The term aborigen (lit. aborigine) is used in Argentina and pueblos aborígenes (lit. aboriginal peoples) is commonly used in Colombia. The English term "Amerindian" (short for "Indians of the Americas") is often used in the Guianas. Latin Americans of mixed European and Indigenous descent are usually referred to as mestizos (Spanish) and mestiços (Portuguese), while those of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry are referred to as zambos.

It is believed that the first human populations of South America either arrived from Asia into North America via the Bering Land Bridge and migrated southwards or alternatively from Polynesia across the Pacific. [14] [15] [16] The earliest generally accepted archaeological evidence for human habitation in South America dates to 14,000 years ago, the Monte Verde site in Southern Chile. [17] The descendants of these first inhabitants would become the indigenous populations of South America.

Before the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many of the indigenous peoples of South America were hunter-gatherers and indeed many still are, especially in the Amazonian area. Others, especially the Andean cultures, practised sophisticated agriculture, utilized advanced irrigation and kept domesticated livestock, such as llamas and alpacas. [18] [19] [20]

In the present day, there is one South American country where indigenous peoples constitute the largest ethnic group. This is Bolivia, where 62% of people identify as feeling a part of some indigenous group. [21]

South American indigenous peoples include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guayas Province</span> Province of Ecuador

Guayas is a coastal province in Ecuador. It is bordered to the west by Manabí, Santa Elena, and the Pacific Ocean ; to the east by Los Ríos, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Cañar, and Azuay; to the north by Los Ríos and Bolívar; and to the south by El Oro and the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provinces of Panama</span> First-level administrative divisions of Panama

Panama is divided into ten provinces and four provincial-level indigenous regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Largest cities in the Americas</span> List of largest cities located in The Americas

This is a list of the 50 largest cities in the Americas by population residing within city limits as of 2015, the most recent year for which official population census results, estimates, or short-term projections are available for most of these cities. These figures do not reflect the population of the urban agglomeration or metropolitan area which typically do not coincide with the administrative boundaries of the city. For a list of the latter, see List of metropolitan areas in the Americas by population. These figures refer to mid-2015 populations with the following exceptions:

  1. Mexican cities, whose figures derive from the 2015 Intercensal Survey conducted by INEGI with a reference date of 15 March 2015;
  2. Calgary, whose 2015 municipal census had a reference date of April 1.
  3. Brazilian cities, whose figures originate from the 2021 estimate given by the IBGE, with a reference date of July 1, 2021.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous peoples of Mexico</span> Populations existing prior to the arrival of the Spanish

Indigenous peoples of Mexico, Native Mexicans or Mexican Native Americans, are those who are part of communities that trace their roots back to populations and communities that existed in what is now Mexico before the arrival of Europeans.

The Xinka, or Xinca, are a non-Mayan indigenous people of Mesoamerica, with communities in the southern portion of Guatemala, near its border with El Salvador, and in the mountainous region to the north.

The Ladino people are a mix of mestizo or Hispanicized peoples in Latin America, principally in Central America. The demonym Ladino is a Spanish word that is related to Latino. Ladino is an exonym initially used during the colonial era to refer to those Spanish-speakers who were not Peninsulares, Criollos or indigenous peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mam people</span>

The Mam are an indigenous people in the western highlands of Guatemala and in south-western Mexico who speak the Mam language.

Sipakapense is a Mayan language, closely related to Kʼicheʼ spoken natively within indigenous Sipakapense communities in Western Guatemala. It is primarily based in the municipality of Sipacapa in the department of San Marcos.

Talamanca is a canton in the Limón province of Costa Rica. The head city is Bribri, located in Bratsi district.

Amahuaca is an indigenous language of the Amazon Basin in Perú and Brazil. It is also known as Amawaka, Amaguaco, Ameuhaque, Ipitineri, and Sayaco. Amahuaca is a Panoan language that is believed to be closely related to Cashinahua and Yaminawa. There around 220 speakers in Brazil, and around 328 speakers in Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atacama people</span> American indigenous people from the Atacama desert and altiplano region

The Atacama people, also called Atacameño, are an Indigenous people from the Atacama Desert and altiplano region in the north of Chile and Argentina and southern Bolivia, mainly the Antofagasta Region.

The Awakatek (Awakateko) are a indigenous Maya people located in the municiapality of Champotón, Campeche, México and in the municiaplity of Aguacatán in the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, place where they have their original settlement.

The Uspantek are a Maya people in Guatemala, principally located in the municipality of Uspantán. The Uspantek language is a K’ichean-Mamean language, like Kʼicheʼ.

The Sakapultek are a Maya people in Guatemala, located in the municipality of Sacapulas. The Sakapultek language is closely related to Kʼicheʼ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Colombia</span>

The demographics of Colombia consist of statistics regarding Colombians' health, economic status, religious affiliations, ethnicity, population density, and other aspects of the population. Colombia is the second-most populous country in South America after Brazil, and the third-most populous in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lule people</span>

The Lule people, or Lules, are an indigenous people in Argentina. They were originally encountered in the area that is now the Salta Province of Argentina, as well as in nearby areas of modern-day Bolivia and Paraguay. They were later displaced by the Wichí toward the south of Salta Province, the north-east of Santiago del Estero Province, and eastern Tucumán Province. The Lule language is distantly related to the Vilela language, and together they form the Lule-Vilela language family. Today, 3,721 people in Argentina claim Lule ethnic affiliation, according to the 2010 census.

Quitirrisí is a district of the Mora canton, in the San José province of Costa Rica.

Matambú is a district of the Hojancha canton, in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.

Telire is an indigenous territory in Costa Rica.

References

  1. ↑ "Perú: Perfil Sociodemográfico" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. p. 214. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  2. ↑ "Características de la Población – Censo 2012" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística. p. 103. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Síntesis de Resultados Censo 2017" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  4. ↑ "Censo Demográfico 2022: Identificação étnico-racial da população, por sexo e idade" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  5. ↑ "Población Indígena de Colombia" (PDF) (in Spanish). Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  6. ↑ "Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas 2022: Población indígena o descendiente de pueblos indígenas u originarios" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC). Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  7. ↑ "Presentación de Resultados Nacionales" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  8. ↑ "Resultados Población Indígena" (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  9. ↑ "Tierra y territorio, fundamentos de vida de los pueblos indígenas, 2012" (PDF) (in Spanish). Dirección General de Estadística, Encuestas y Censos. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  10. ↑ "Final 2012 Census Compendium 2" (PDF). Bureau of Statistics. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  11. ↑ "Población por sexo y principal ascendencia étnico racial, según departamento". Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Archived from the original (XLS) on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  12. ↑ "Demografische en Sociale Karakteristieken en Migratie" (PDF) (in Dutch). Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek. p. 46. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  13. ↑ Aupetit, Mathilde. "Les populations indigènes de la Guyane française : une mémoire environnementale essentielle à protéger" (in French). Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  14. ↑ "Study confirms Bering land bridge flooded later than previously believed". cyberwest.com. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  15. ↑ Gongora, J.; et al. (Jul 28, 2008). "Indo-European and Asian origins for Chilean and Pacific chickens revealed by mtDNA". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (30): 10308–10313. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0801991105 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   2492461 . PMID   18663216.
  16. ↑ "Journal of the Polynesian Society: Notes And Queries, P 255-258". www.jps.auckland.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-05-20. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  17. ↑ Hey, Jody (2005-05-24). "On the Number of New World Founders: A Population Genetic Portrait of the Peopling of the Americas". PLOS Biology. 3 (6): e193. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0030193 . ISSN   1545-7885. PMC   1131883 . PMID   15898833.
  18. ↑ Earls, John. "The Character of Inca and Andean Agriculture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "4.1 Raised beds and waru waru cultivation". www.oas.org. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  20. ↑ Pinedo, Javier Blossiers. "AGRICULTURA DE LADERAS A TRAVÉS DE ANDENES, PERÚ" (PDF). Archived from the original on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ↑ "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.