Haplogroup E is primarily found in Africa, but it also exists in Europe and Asia.  Apart from North America, its levels are very low or it is completely absent elsewhere in the world.  Its presence in North America is largely due to the slave trade from ~1650-1850AD that brought Africans to America and not due to indigenous or native Americans as they lack this haplogroup.  

The Haplogroup E branch of Y chromosomes is identified by the presence of SNPs M40 and M96 (and others; SRY4064, SRY8299, and P29).  E1 is the predominant subclade, while E2 is much less frequent.  Within E1, E1b1 (defined by SNP P2) is the most abundant and widespread representative, and accounts for most of Haplogroup E worldwide.  E1b1 lineages vary in abundance over Africa and three main regions are evident from the distribution peaks of three subclades: E1b1a (SNP M2) in Sub-Saharan Africa, E1b1b1a (SNP M78) in East Africa and E1b1b1b (SNP M81) in Northwest Africa.   The difference in geographic location of Haplogroup E subclades also aligns with distinct language groups supporting the idea that there is prevailing father to son transmission of language in Africa.  This very general picture has recently yielded to finer views of African lineages and migrations through the definition and study of additional subclades and more remote branches of Haplogroup E.  Indeed, this is one most frequently revised Y-chromosome haplogroups with several upgrades of its subclade nomenclature. 

The diagram below is a phylogenetic tree illustrating the various known Y-DNA Subclades of E:



If you are a confirmed member of Y-DNA Haplogroup E, dig further using the Y-DNA E Subclade SNP Test find out which Subclade of E you descended from.