The Inca Empire was comprised of four major suyu, or provinces: Chinchaysuyu, Antisuyu, Qullasuyu, and Kuntisuyu.
The Quechua name Tawantinsuyu means “the realm of the four parts.” These four regions met at Cusco, the imperial capital and political-religious center. Chinchaysuyu lay generally to the northwest, Antisuyu to the northeast and toward the eastern Andes, Qullasuyu to the southeast, and Kuntisuyu to the southwest.
The suyu were the empire’s largest administrative divisions, but they were not identical in size or population. Each was subdivided into smaller provinces or wamani, which were governed by officials and local leaders under Inca authority. As the empire expanded, the regions changed in practical extent, especially toward Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina.
A common mix-up is treating Cusco as a fifth province. It stood at the center where the four suyu converged and functioned as the empire’s capital district rather than one of the four major quarters.