andinas

Andinas is the feminine plural form of the Spanish adjective andina/andino, used to describe things or people from the Andes, the long mountain range that runs along the western edge of South America. In English, andinas is typically translated as Andean women or Andean (feminine). The masculine plural is andinos, and the feminine singular is andina.

Geography and demography: The Andes extend roughly 7,000 kilometers from Venezuela to Chile and Argentina, crossing multiple sovereign states. Andinas as a demonym refers to inhabitants of the Andean region, particularly women, who may belong to diverse Indigenous groups such as Quechua and Aymara communities, as well as mestizo or other populations. They share certain highland cultural traits and historical experiences shaped by high-altitude agriculture and trade routes.

Cultural and linguistic notes: Andean cultures are known for terraced agriculture, potatoes, quinoa, maize, llama and alpaca husbandry, textiles, and music featuring wind instruments like the panpipes (zampoña) and quena. Many Andinas speak Indigenous languages alongside Spanish, with Quechua and Aymara among the most widespread in the region.

Modern usage: The term andina/andina is used in scholarly and everyday Spanish to identify origin from the Andean region. It appears in cultural, academic, and demographic contexts, and may be used in reference to communities, traditions, or gendered descriptors of people from the region.