Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which parts of South America had the largest Indigenous populations before European conquest?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups — South American Indian Distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups.

Before the European conquest in the 16th century, the area of greatest Indigenous population density in South America was the central Andes.1

While these regions were sparsely populated compared to Old World civilizations, the central Andes supported approximately 3,500,000 people, concentrated in narrow coastal valleys and small highland basins. This area represented about 1 percent of Peru's total land mass but maintained a population density significantly higher than any other part of the continent.1

Other regions with significant Indigenous populations and complex social organizations included:

Northern Andes, northern Venezuela, and the Antilles: These areas were home to various chiefdoms with an estimated total population of 1,900,000.1
Southern Andes: Inhabited by groups such as the Atacama, Diaguita, and Araucanians, this region had a combined population of approximately 1,131,000.1
Tropical-forest regions: These areas supported an estimated 2,200,000 people.1

Societies with the most complex social organizations and the densest populations were generally located along the Pacific Ocean coast, the Andes Mountains, and along the major rivers of the Amazon River basin.2