South America: The Incas
Prior to Spanish and Portuguese conquests, most of South America's population was centered in the Andes Mountains. The Inca civilization thrived in the altiplanos (valleys or basins) of the Andes Mountains and were known for their administrative expertise, as well as their ability to colonize and build. Their empire was vast [wwhearth] , yet control was concentrated from a small, tightly woven, elite sector. When the Spanish arrived (along the northwest and west coasts), a takeover at the top administrative levels was enough to take control of the empire.
[The text of the following was written by Scott Girhard, San Antonio College from his online course GEOG 1301 World Geography. Used with permission.]
Brief descriptions of the Incan Civilization can be found at the following site: