Planimetry of settlements as a confirmation of transformation in the Atalaya region in Peruvian Amazonia

Abstract

This paper aims to establish criteria for defining traditional and modern settlements, and location factors in relation to their spatial presence in the Atalaya region, in Peruvian Amazonia. The key theme is the planimetry of villages, which depends on many factors. It is a kind of indicator of outside influences, which reveals everyday life habits, ways of doing business, employment, and the presence of certain activities. Human activities, civilisation models, and outside pressures affect the appearance and structure of villages. In Peruvian Amazonia, indigenous influences are shifted by influences imported from areas outside Amazonia. The planimetry of the villages indicates the differences between the two main village groups: traditional and modern villages. A broad analysis of human activities, of habitation and migration, communication infrastructure, and of the history outside of the Amazonian influence is necessary to extract the criteria for defining traditional and modern settlements. Modern settlements occur in regions that have received numerous and different foreign influences and communication flows. Traditional settlements are present in all the investigated areas, with a noticeable reduction in the modern zones.