ABSTRACT
The Napo Province of Ecuador is located in the eastern part of the country, just east of the Andes, nestled up to the cloud forests of the provinces which border it to the west, those of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, and Tungurahua. To the north, east, and south are its sister Oriente provinces, those of Sucumbios, Orellana, and Pastaza, respectively. Known to the outside world as an adventurous land of white-water rafting, ecotourism, and animal watching, it is part of the upper Amazonian watershed. Along with the Amazonian lowlands of Peru and southern Colombia, this region has been classified as one of the world's most biodiverse areas (Myers et al. 2000). It is home to many of Ecuador's indigenous populations and as of 2000 it remained the sole majority-indigenous province of Ecuador. While the province is divided into five cantons, Tena is by far the largest with a population of nearly 60,000 (INEC 2010), the majority of whom live outside of the urban expanse of the municipality of the same name, which also serves as the provincial capital.
