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An Afro-Ecuadorian is a member of an ethnic group in Ecuador who are descendants of black African slaves brought by the Spanish during their conquest of Ecuador from the Incas. In 2006 Ecuador had a population of 13,547,510 with 8%, or 1,083,801 descendant from Spanish and African people, approximately 10%-15% of Ecuador's population.^[1] The Afro-Ecuadorian culture is found in the northwest coastal region of Ecuador and make up the majority (70%) in the province of Esmeraldas and the Valle del Chota in the Imbabura Province. They can be also found in Guayaquil. The best known cultural influence known outside of Ecuador is a distinctive kind of marimba music.

In 1533, the first African slaves reached Ecuador when a slave ship heading to Peru was stranded off the Ecuadorian coast. The slaves escaped and established maroon settlements in Esmeraldas, which became a safe haven as many slaves either escaped to there or were forced to live there. Eventually, they started moving from their traditional homeland and were settling everywhere in Ecuador.

Racism deeply rooted from the Spanish colonial era are still shown as Afro-Ecuadorians are very discriminated by the mestizo and criollo populations. Poverty is rampant amonst them. Many Afro-Ecuadorians had participated in sports, mainly for the Ecuadorian national football team.

• Monica Chala, in 1996, was the first Afro-Ecuadorian to win the Miss Ecuador beauty pageant.
• Augustin Delgado, Born in the Juncal village became the top futbol player to hail from Ecuador. In November 2001 he signed a $3.5 million deal with the team from Southampton, England.
• Luz Del Alba Born in San Lorenzo, Esmeraldas, coordinates the ecological community project in Olmedo Village let by the Japanese NGO "ACTMANG" (Action for Mangrove Reforestation).
• Afrikáns Homo Sapiens is a musical group that performs "Bao" music. Bao is a fusion of native rhythms and Caribbean rhythms including candombe, salsa, merengue, reggae and calypso.
• Jaime Hurtado, from Guayaquil, was notorious for fighting for the rights of the working people of Ecuador and the founder and leader of the Democratic Popular Party (MPD). He was assassinated in the winter of 1999.^[2]
• Nelson Estupiñán Bass (1913-2002), born in Súa, Esmeraldas, he was a famous author of literature. His work expressed his great concern for the Afro-Ecuadorian people and the society of Ecuador. His works include "El Ultimo Rio" (1966), "Cuando los Guayacanes florecían" (1954), "El crepusculo" (1993), "Timarán y Cuabú" (1956), "Las tres carabelas" (1973) "Toque de Queda " (1978), "El desempate" (1980), "Viaje alrededor de la poesía negra" (1982), "Los canarios pintaron el aire amarillo" (1993) ^[3]

• Afro-Latin American
• List of Afro-Ecuadorians