Where are Quechuan languages spoken in South America?

Quechuan languages are primarily spoken across the Andean highlands and surrounding regions of South America. Their distribution extends from southern Colombia and Ecuador through Peru and Bolivia, reaching into northwestern Argentina and northern Chile.12

While these languages are most strongly associated with the central Andes, they are also present in large areas of the Amazon Basin. Historically, their range was significantly expanded by the Inca Empire, which promoted the language as a primary administrative and communicative medium. Today, Quechua remains one of the most widely spoken Indigenous language families in the Americas, though it faces ongoing challenges from language shift and social pressures.2314