Ancestry DNA test

Italy is located in the south of Europe and in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. It is estimated that its population is made up of approximately 60 million individuals. For centuries this country has been an area of settlement of different populations, highlighting the Celts in the north and the Greeks in the south of the territory. This unequal settlement of the first settlers has been the cause of the current genetic differentiation of Italians throughout the peninsula. The southern Italians are genetically similar to the Greeks, while the northern Italians are closer to the Spanish and French in the south.

The Ashkenazi Jewish population is a group that currently consists of approximately 10 million people. Their origin dates back some 2000 years, when their ancestors moved from Western Asia to Central Europe. Their history is marked by the persecution, genocides and Holocaust that took place during World War II. This historical event caused Jews to emigrate all over the world. At present, the most representative groups of Ashkenazis are distributed among the United States, Israel and the former Soviet Union. Within this community, consanguineous marriages are a common practice, so it has become a very characteristic and homogeneous population from the genetic point of view.

Sardinia is an island located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Corsica to the north, the Italian peninsula to the east, Tunisia to the south and the Balearic Islands to the west. This island has approximately 1.5 million inhabitants, and its history is quite ancient and rich. The first settlements in the territory occurred more than 10,000 years ago, and came from the Italian peninsula, the Iberian peninsula and Africa. Since that time, the Sardinians have not undergone major migrations. This fact, together with the geographical situation of the territory, has made the genetics of Sardinia very characteristic and different from the rest of the populations of its geographical environment.

Distributed throughout the northern part of the American continent is the population of the native Pima people. It is an ethnic group that currently has a few hundred inhabitants of purely Pima genetics. The first region inhabited by this people was western Canada, and from there it expanded to occupy a large part of the continent. At the genetic level, it has been verified that the Pima descend from the first inhabitants of the American continent, who came from East Asia.

The indigenous people of South and Central America, also called American Indians or American Indians, are the original inhabitants of this geographic area. Their origin is not entirely clear, although it is believed that they descend from hunting groups that migrated to America through the Bering Strait during the last Würm glaciation. This category includes the Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec and Mixe ethnic groups (Mexico), the Quechua (Peru and Bolivia), Karitiana and Surui (Brazil), Chané (Argentina), Piapoco (Colombia and Venezuela), and Mexican and Peruvian natives. Given the origin of these ethnic groups, it is common to find a high percentage of their genetics in the current inhabitants of South America.

The Papuan people are the native ethnic group of Papua New Guinea, Oceania. The country of Papua New Guinea comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, as well as numerous surrounding islands. Papua New Guinea has been populated since ancient times, with the oldest archaeological remains found in the area dating back 60,000 years. Genetically, very little is known about these early settlers, although it is believed that they may have come from Southeast Asia.

Melanesians are the indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, a region of Oceania that extends throughout the western part of New Guinea. Several scientific studies indicate that the first inhabitants of the region arrived during the migration of Africans to the Asian continent. Years later, there were several waves of settlement of Austronesian peoples in the territory, giving rise to numerous complex genetic mixtures.

The Maghreb is a region located in North Africa whose genetics is mainly represented in the countries of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara and Tunisia. It has a population of more than 100 million inhabitants. The first settlers of the Maghreb were the Imazighen, better known as Berbers. Since then, the Maghreb territory has received several migratory waves such as the arrival of the Andalusians, the Ottoman Empire or the French colonization. For this reason, the Maghrebi population shares a large part of its genetics with some southern European countries.

With a population of approximately 20 million inhabitants, The Gambia and Senegal are the two West African countries located furthest west on the continent. The genetics of The Gambia and Senegal have been strongly marked by historical episodes of human and commercial mobility, being the epicenter of African slavery between the 16th and 18th centuries. Nowadays it is a region where different ethnic groups have settled down, being the Mandinga the most representative: more than 30% of the inhabitants of Gambia and Senegal belong to this group.

With a total of 8 million inhabitants, Sierra Leone and Liberia are located in West Africa. The origin of both countries is closely related, as it dates back to the struggle that took place in the 18th century against slavery on both sides of the Atlantic. Numerous populations have now settled throughout the territory, although the Mende are the most characteristic ethnic group, representing 30% of the total population.

Located in West Africa and with approximately 230 million inhabitants, are Nigeria and Ghana. The history of this African region has been marked by constant European expeditions to the Gold Coast, a fact that is reflected in its genetics. As a result of this genetic diversity, more than 250 ethnic groups have been identified in the region, the most important being the Esan people and the Yoruba people.

With a population of approximately 47 million inhabitants, Kenya and Uganda are the two African countries located in the easternmost part of the continent. Different ethnic groups have been settled in this region for several centuries, with the Luhya and Luo peoples being the most representative. These groups initially settled in the east and west of Uganda, although during the second half of the 15th century they migrated to western Kenya. For this reason, these two regions share a high degree of genetic similarity.

The term pygmy is used to designate individuals living in Central Africa, especially in the African equatorial forests. Together with the Bushmen or San, they are considered the oldest inhabitants of Africa. The high inbreeding of these tribes, together with their isolation in forests, has given them a very distinctive genetics with respect to the rest of African populations. As a curiosity, and as a result of such characteristic genetics, it is worth mentioning the short stature and short life expectancy (between 15-24 years) of the individuals that make up these tribes.

Central Asia is a territory with a large number of ethnic groups, distributed mainly in five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The origin of this population dates back to the Indo-Iranian and Turkic expansions that took place centuries ago. As a result, today's Central Asians share a high degree of genetic similarity with the peoples of Western Asia.

Located in South Asia and with more than 235 million inhabitants, are Pakistan and Afghanistan. Due to their geographical location, they are a region that has been settled by a variety of peoples. For this reason, they are currently two countries with a high degree of genetic variability, inhabited by numerous ethnic groups. In Pakistan, the Pashtun, Sindhi, Punjabi or Baluchi populations stand out, while in Afghanistan, groups such as the Pashtuns, Yayikos, Hazaras, Uzbeks or Baluchis can be found.

The Gujarati people are an ethnic group of approximately 60 million individuals. They originate from the state of Gujarat, located in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. Given its complex history, it is a people with a high genetic diversity. For several centuries, the state of Gujarat has been a meeting point for important migratory flows, mainly between the coasts of the Arabian Sea, a region with which it shares a certain degree of genetic similarity.

The state of Punjab, located in northwestern India, has acted as a major passageway for all major human invasions in the Indian subcontinent. The result has been the mixing of foreign genes with the local populations, resulting in a wide range of genetic diversity and influencing the genetic structure of the Punjab populations. Today the most representative ethnic group in the region are the Punjabis, a population highly influenced by Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic culture.

Bangladesh and northeast India are located in an exceptional geographical position, a fact that has shaped the current genetic mosaic of the region. The first populations to settle in the territory were Austroasiatic, Tibeto-Burman, Dravidian and Indo-European. For this reason, the inhabitants of Bangladesh and northeastern India have genetic markers in common with the populations of Western Asia.

Southern India and Sri Lanka is a region of more than 230 million people, mainly spread over the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil, Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, as well as the island of Sri Lanka. Most of the inhabitants of this region belong to the Telugu people, the majority ethnic group in the territory. The Telugus, like some other South Asians, are descended from a mixture of pre-Dravidian, Dravidian and Indo-Aryan tribes that first settled in the territory more than 70,000 years ago.

The Japanese are a group native to the archipelago of Japan, located in East Asia. The oldest archaeological evidence from this region corresponds to groups of hunter-gatherers dating back more than 39,000 years, when there was still a land connection between the archipelago and the Asian continent. Geographically, several ethnic groups can be distinguished in the territory, including the Yamatos, the Ainus and the Ryukyuan. However, the Yamatos are the most numerous people and the term Japanese generally refers directly to this group.

Koreans are one of the largest groups in East Asia. The population numbers approximately 80 million individuals, distributed in both northern and southern Korea. It is thought that the first settlers of this group descended from the ancient peoples of Manchuria, Mongolia and southern Siberia, who settled in northern Korea during the Bronze Age. Today, it is one of the most genetically homogeneous populations in the world.

This group includes individuals of the Mongolian people and of the Oroquen, Xibe, Hezher and Daur ethnic groups, established in northern China. The Mongols are the majority ethnic group of this group and have approximately 10 million individuals, distributed in northern China, Mongolia and southern Asia. Given the common historical past shared by all these populations, they are closely related ethnic groups from a genetic point of view.

This category includes the Chinese Dai ethnic group and some populations of the Indochinese peninsula, especially those located in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. Although the Dai group is very characteristic from the genetic point of view, it is closely related to the Indochinese populations. Of particular note is the genetic similarity with the Vietnamese population, native to Vietnam and southern China; the Khmer people, the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia; and the Thai population, distributed mainly in Thailand. For this reason, all the above-mentioned populations are included in the same group.

The Han people are an ethnic group originating in China. It is one of the largest ethnic groups in the world, numbering approximately 1.2 billion people (about 18% of the world's population). Several scientific studies suggest that the Hans are descendants of the Huaxia tribe, an ancient population with which they share most genetic markers. It is now a very genetically homogeneous population.

Siberia is a region that extends across northern Asia and forms the most Asian part of Russia. It has approximately 40 million inhabitants, of which 10% are indigenous tribes. Among the most representative ethnic groups in the territory are the Yakut people, who share genetic similarities with other indigenous groups that inhabit the region, such as the Evenks and the Ulchi. In addition, and given the geographic location of these peoples, evolution has led to the prevalence of genetic modifications that have allowed them to adapt to extreme climates.

The name Bedouin is attributed to the nomadic Arab population inhabiting the deserts of the Near East, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. It is estimated that this ethnic group is made up of more than 25 million individuals, settled mainly in Sudan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Its origin dates back to 7th century Arabia and its rapid expansion throughout Western Asia. Today, the Bedouin people are a genetically heterogeneous people. Depending on the places to which they migrated, subgroups of nomads have formed that may share high genetic similarities with the Turks, Kurds or Arabs.

The Arabian Peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean are located at the confluence of Africa and Asia, and include countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, among others. Different ethnic groups coexist in the territory, with the Egyptians being the largest group with more than 100 million individuals, followed by Bedouins, Gypsies and Nubians, with more than 1 million people each. Given the geographic proximity of all these regions, they share an important genetic component, which is why they are considered in the same category.

The Ashkenazi Jewish population is a group that currently consists of approximately 10 million people. Their origin dates back some 2000 years, when their ancestors moved from Western Asia to Central Europe. Their history is marked by the persecution, genocides and Holocaust that took place during World War II. This historical event caused Jews to emigrate all over the world. At present, the most representative groups of Ashkenazis are distributed among the United States, Israel and the former Soviet Union. Within this community, consanguineous marriages are a common practice, so it has become a very characteristic and homogeneous population from the genetic point of view.

Located in Western Asia are Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus, home to more than 183 million people. It is one of the regions with the most ethnic groups in the world, and they all share a common genetic history. The origin of these populations was marked by the settlement of the Mongols in the 13th century, which resulted in a high number of migrations to neighboring territories. For this reason, the genetics of Turks, Caucasians and Iranians present genetic markers common to southern European populations, especially in the case of southern Italians.