andino

Andino is an adjective and noun in Spanish that designates relation to the Andes, the long mountain system that runs along the western edge of South America. As an adjective, andino/andina describes geography, ecosystems, and cultures of the Andean region; as a noun, it can refer to a person from those regions (andinos/andinas). The term is used in anthropology, geography, history, and cultural studies to group diverse populations connected by the highland environment and by historical interactions across the Andean corridor.

Geographically, the Andean region extends through parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, with variations in climate from cloud forests to high-altitude puna and altiplano. The concept also includes glacial and paramo zones in the northern Andes and arid slopes in the southern ranges.

Andean cultures include a variety of indigenous groups, such as Quechua-speaking communities and Aymara speakers; their languages, traditional agriculture (potatoes, quinoa, maize), textile arts, music (panpipes, charango), and religious syncretism. The Andino identity is often linked to the agricultural calendar, mountain cosmology, and urban-rural dynamics. In linguistic usage, the term Andino appears in phrases like población andina and diversidad andina.

In contemporary contexts, Andino can also be a surname or given name in Spanish-speaking countries, and is used in place names and organizations to reflect regional heritage or affiliation with the Andes.