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What was the Inca Empire?

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Quick answer

The Inca Empire was the largest empire in the Americas before Europeans arrived, spanning the Andes mountains of South America in the 1400s–1500s. Famous for Machu Picchu, vast road networks, and remarkable engineering, it fell to Spanish conquest in the 1530s.

Key things to understand

  1. It was the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas.
  2. It stretched along the Andes in western South America.
  3. It built Machu Picchu and thousands of miles of roads.
  4. It fell to Spanish conquistadors in the 1530s.

People also ask

What was the Inca Empire?
The largest empire in the pre-Columbian Americas, centered in the Andes of South America.
What were the Incas known for?
Machu Picchu, a vast road network, stone engineering, and clever farming on mountain terraces.
Why did the Inca Empire fall?
Spanish conquistadors, internal conflict, and European diseases brought it down in the 1530s.