﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  HIGHLANDS 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  17 
  

  

  Between 
  the 
  Western 
  Cordillera 
  and 
  the 
  Eastern 
  are 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  

   high 
  intermont 
  basins 
  collectively 
  called 
  the 
  altiplano. 
  Lake 
  Titi- 
  

   caca 
  occupies 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  along 
  the 
  Peruvian 
  border. 
  In 
  this 
  

   section 
  rainfall 
  is 
  ample. 
  However, 
  the 
  desert 
  belt 
  of 
  the 
  Coast 
  of 
  

   Peril 
  and 
  North 
  Chile 
  cuts 
  across 
  the 
  Andes 
  at 
  about 
  lat. 
  20° 
  S. 
  

   Consequently, 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  altiplano, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  adjacent 
  moun- 
  

   tains, 
  is 
  excessively 
  arid, 
  and 
  unsuitable 
  for 
  extensive 
  habitation. 
  In 
  

   fact, 
  the 
  flats 
  south 
  of 
  Lake 
  Poopo 
  are 
  great 
  salt 
  plains. 
  

  

  The 
  Lake 
  Titicaca 
  Basin 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  major 
  centers 
  of 
  population 
  

   concentration 
  (pi. 
  3). 
  The 
  lake 
  itself 
  is 
  at 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  12,500 
  feet 
  

   (3,750 
  m.) 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  surrounding 
  territory 
  is 
  even 
  higher. 
  

   However, 
  the 
  lake 
  is 
  of 
  sufficient 
  size 
  and 
  depth 
  to 
  ameliorate 
  the 
  

   climate 
  so 
  that 
  even 
  maize 
  can 
  grow 
  in 
  this 
  high 
  altitude. 
  The 
  flats 
  

   surrounding 
  the 
  lake, 
  the 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  lake, 
  and 
  the 
  mountain 
  slopes 
  

   on 
  both 
  sides 
  have 
  long 
  been 
  subject 
  to 
  intensive 
  cultivation. 
  Arche- 
  

   ologically, 
  this 
  region 
  was 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  Tiahuanaco 
  civilization, 
  

   which 
  was 
  not 
  only 
  remarkably 
  advanced 
  in 
  technology 
  but 
  also 
  

   spread 
  its 
  influence 
  and, 
  perhaps, 
  a 
  political 
  control 
  over 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  

   of 
  Peru 
  and 
  Bolivia. 
  This 
  basin 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  

   Aymara 
  (or 
  Colla) 
  Indians, 
  who, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  a 
  long 
  period 
  of 
  Inca 
  

   domination 
  and 
  over 
  400 
  years 
  of 
  European 
  contact, 
  have 
  managed 
  

   to 
  maintain 
  both 
  their 
  language 
  and 
  much 
  of 
  their 
  native 
  culture. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  Desaguadero 
  River, 
  which 
  flows 
  from 
  Lake 
  

   Poopo 
  to 
  Lake 
  Titicaca, 
  are 
  small 
  scattered 
  settlements. 
  Although 
  

   not 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  concentrated 
  population, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  interest 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  

   occupied 
  by 
  the 
  Uru-Chipaya 
  Indians. 
  (See 
  this 
  volume, 
  p. 
  575.) 
  

   The 
  language 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  differs 
  from 
  both 
  Aymara 
  and 
  Quechua. 
  

   Some 
  authors 
  classify 
  the 
  language 
  with 
  Puquina, 
  which 
  was 
  once 
  

   rather 
  widespread 
  on 
  the 
  North 
  Coast 
  of 
  Chile 
  and 
  the 
  South 
  Coast 
  of 
  

   Perti. 
  Immediately 
  east 
  of 
  Lake 
  Poopo, 
  the 
  river 
  valleys 
  which 
  

   drain 
  toward 
  the 
  lake 
  are 
  rather 
  densely 
  occupied 
  in 
  their 
  upper 
  

   basins 
  by 
  the 
  Aymara 
  Indians. 
  

  

  The 
  Eastern 
  Cordillera, 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  Peruvian 
  chain, 
  

   branches 
  eastward 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  maximum 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  Andes, 
  about 
  

   400 
  miles 
  (640 
  km.). 
  Rainfall 
  is 
  ample 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  but, 
  toward 
  the 
  

   south, 
  the 
  mountains 
  are 
  arid. 
  Relatively 
  large 
  intermont 
  basins 
  are 
  

   found 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  flat 
  pockets 
  along 
  rivers 
  which 
  form 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  Amazon 
  or 
  the 
  Paraguay 
  drainage. 
  The 
  high 
  surfaces 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  basins 
  are 
  typical 
  puna 
  country 
  excellent 
  for 
  grazing, 
  although 
  

   it 
  is 
  rather 
  badly 
  eroded 
  toward 
  the 
  east. 
  The 
  Eastern 
  Cordillera 
  has 
  

   long 
  maintained 
  concentrated 
  population 
  clusters. 
  The 
  basin 
  of 
  

   Cochabamba, 
  at 
  8,500 
  feet 
  (about 
  2,550 
  m.) 
  altitude, 
  supports 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  densely 
  populated 
  rural 
  areas 
  of 
  Bolivia 
  today, 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   sumably 
  did 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  the 
  past. 
  Other 
  important 
  centers 
  are 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  somewhat 
  smaller 
  basins 
  of 
  Sucre 
  and 
  Tarija, 
  and 
  else- 
  

  

  