Amazon Indians Map

Map Amazon Tribes

  


Map Indians Eastern Amazon

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his map illustrates the approximate locations of the indigenous tribes of the Eastern Amazonian region and covers six countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela).  Please note that the Amazon River Basin is depicted in green in this map.  As seen in the above map, Brazil tends to dominate the Eastern Amazon with most of the eastern part of the Amazon River Basin contained within the borders of Brazil.   

 

Much has changed since the data used to make this map was compiled by the National Geographic Society in 1982.  For example, new tribes have been discovered, the Zo'e (sometimes spelled Zo'é or Zoë) being a good example.  Unfortunately, some of the tribes listed on the map are on the verge of extinction being victims of the increasing destruction of the Amazon Rainforest.  Brazil has been particularly aggressive in this respect, destroying whole forests and planting soybeans in their place.   

 

One area shown on the map that is particularly interesting is the Xingu River area.  In the northern Xingu region, the Juruna tribe dominates.  Further to the south in the Xingu Indigenous Park, many different tribes are concentrated in this area and although they speak different languages, they share many cultural traditions and characteristics.  The Txukahamai, Suyá, Kamayurá, Auetí (Aweti), Waurá (Wauja), Mehinaku (Mehinako), Kuikuru (Kuikuro), Kalapalo and Trumai tribes all share the reserve encompassed by the Xingu Indigenous Park.  In particular interest to linguists is the  Trumai tribe which is the last existent representative of an entire linguistic family.   

 

The influence of these Amazonian tribes extends well beyond the borders of the Amazon.  In fact, they extend beyond the continent of South America.  For example, descendents of the Arawak tribe migrated to the Caribbean where they became known as the Taíno and it was these indigenous people that Columbus encountered during his first voyage to the New World.   

 

Matis Indians


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© Copyright 2004-2006 Dan James Pantone, all rights reserved, Map Indians Eastern Amazon