Indigenous peoples in Peru, or Native Peruvians, comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who have inhabited the country of Peru's territory since before its discovery by Europeans around 1500. The first Spanish explorers called the indigenous peoples of the Americas indios "Indians", a name that is still used today although sometimes with a derogatory connotation. The 13,248,943 indigenous people in Peru formed about 45% of the total population of Peru in 2014.