The Quechua tribes, who appear originally to have lived in a small area of the southern highlands of Peru, became the most powerful element in the Incan Empire. Quechua was the official language of the Inca, and as the empire expanded, use of the language spread over a large area of South America.

After the Spanish conquest of Peru, Quechua remained the major language, and Spanish missionaries used it in western South America. Since the sixteenth century the descendants of the original Quechua people have remained largely pure blooded, retaining many elements of their culture and accepting few European customs.

Spanish, spoken by some 70 percent of the people, was the sole official language of Peru until 1975, when Quechua, also was made an official language. Another Native American language, Aymará, was declared official in 1980.They are two of the few indigenous languages of the Americas to receive official recognition. English is also spoken.