Abstract
Ecuador is located between latitudes 2°N and 5°S and limits the Pacific Ocean on the west, Colombia on the north, and Peru on the south and east (Fig. 1). Its capital, Quito, stands at 2850 m (9350 ft.) above sea level. The country has four different geographic regions, the Coast (west of the Andes), the Sierra (Interandean highlands), the Amazon (east of the Andes), and the Insular region (Galapagos Islands). It is also divided into 24 provinces; six in the Coast, 11 in the Sierra, six in the Amazon, and one in the Insular region. Figure 1 Political map of Ecuador. Ecuador's surface area is 256,369 km2 (98,985 sq miles). The population in the last National Census in 2010 was 14,483,499 and it is estimated to be above 15 million as of 2015 (National Institute of Census and Statistics, INEC, www.inec.gob.ec). Life expectancy in Ecuador is 75.6 years (CIA, World Fact Book). Its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was $5932 with a GDP growth rate of 4.05% in 2013 (Ecuadorian Ministry of Finances).
Highlights
Ecuador is located between latitudes 2°N and 5°S and limits the Pacific Ocean on the west, Colombia on the north, and Peru on the south and east (Fig. 1)
Mitochondrial DNA studies begin with the analysis of the Cytochrome b gene in Mestizos, Native American, Cholos, and AfricanAmericans, relating common polymorphisms to the possible origin of each population (Paz-y-Min~o et al 2008a)
The Afro-Ecuadorian population is quite interesting in the sense that it is related to the Guineans, but it is closer to the Kichwas and Spaniards than to the Africans (Paz-y-Min~o 2012a)
Summary
Ecuador is located between latitudes 2°N and 5°S and limits the Pacific Ocean on the west, Colombia on the north, and Peru on the south and east (Fig. 1). Quito, stands at 2850 m (9350 ft.) above sea level. The country has four different geographic regions, the Coast (west of the Andes), the Sierra (Interandean highlands), the Amazon (east of the Andes), and the Insular region (Galapagos Islands). It is divided into 24 provinces; six in the Coast, 11 in the Sierra, six in the Amazon, and one in the Insular region. Life expectancy in Ecuador is 75.6 years (CIA, World Fact Book). Its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was $5932 with a GDP growth rate of 4.05% in 2013 (Ecuadorian Ministry of Finances)
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