The Incas

The Incas were a group of people who lived long ago in South America. They built a big empire in the Andes Mountains. Their empire started in the 1400s. It grew to be one of the largest in the world at that time. The Incas were smart builders, farmers, and leaders.

Where They Lived

The Incas lived high up in the Andes Mountains. Their land covered parts of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Their main city was called Cusco. The Incas called their empire Tawantinsuyu, which means the four regions. They built roads that went all across the mountains.

The Inca stone city of Machu Picchu high in the mountains.
The Inca stone city of Machu Picchu high in the mountains. (Jorge Castro Ruso / Wikimedia Commons)

Life and Buildings

The Incas were great builders. They made stone walls that fit so well you could not slip paper between the stones. They built a famous city called Machu Picchu high on a mountain. The Incas grew corn and potatoes on steps cut into the hills. They raised llamas for wool and to carry loads.

Fun Facts

  • The Incas did not use wheels or have a written language like ours.
  • They kept records by tying knots on strings called quipus.
  • Inca runners carried messages across the empire by running in relays.

Did You Know?

Machu Picchu was hidden in the jungle for hundreds of years before explorers found it again in 1911.