The Distribution of Indians and Indian Languages in Peru

Abstract

T HE publication of the first volume of reports on the Peruvian census of 1940 has put at the disposal of geographers and anthropologists a vast amount of material bearing directly on problems that have been argued for the last thirty years.' The tables now available summarize only certain aspects of the returns, but enough information is given to suggest some interesting conclusions. It is the purpose of the present article to analyze the census figures referring to the distribution of and Indian languages, and to arrange them in contemporary and historical perspective. The maps, Figures I to 4, illustrate the analysis. Figure I is a key to the other maps, showing the division of Peru into departments and provinces and into the geographical zones of coast, highlands, and eastern forests according to Censo 1940 I, Figure 4. The eastern-forest zone is a frontier; part of it is inhabited only by wild living in tribal organization, part by persons living under Peruvian law and protected by Peruvian military posts. As this division is important for interpreting Figures 2 to 4, the settled areas have been approximately indicated by shading, based on R. B. Hall's population-distribution map, Censo 1940 I, Figure 2. Figure 7 in Censo 1940 I, giving the density of population by provinces, will also be found useful for any study of population problems. Figures 2 to 4 accompanying this article give the percentages of Indians and speakers of Indian languages in the total counted population by provinces. They are based respectively on columns A to C of Table I. It might be well to point out here some of the principal sources of distortion on such distribution maps as Figures 2 to 4 or Censo I940 I, Figure 7. In the first place, Peruvian provinces are not always comparable units. They differ immensely in size and population, and many of them contain areas uninhabited because of mountains or desert. Several of them include parts of different geographical zones, where the populations may be very different in quantity or quality. Urbanization also distorts the picture.