Ho, Oct. 15, GNA - Africa, with a population of 999 million, is the second most populous continent in the world after Asia whose population stands at 4.117 billion out of a world population of 6.810 billion This was contained in the 2009 World Population Data Sheet published by Population Reference Bureau of the US.

The Data Sheet quoted life expectancies among African males and females as 53 years and 56 years respectively while those for Asia stand at 68 years and 71 years respectively.

It puts Europe as the third most populous continent with 738 million people and life expectancy of 72 years and 80 years for men and women respectively.

Latin America/Caribbean is fourth with 580 million, North America, 341 million and Oceania 36 million in that order. The Data Sheet said life expectancy in Latin America/Caribbean, Northern America and Oceania were 70 years for men and 76 years for women, 75 years and 80 years and 74 years and 78 years respectively. It said China is the most populated country in Asia with a population of 1,331.4 billion followed closely by India with 1,171.0 billion, Indonesia third with 243.3 million and Maldives being the least populated country of 0.3 million people.

It cited Nigeria as the most populated in Africa with 152.6 million people followed by Ethiopia at 82.8 million, Egypt 78.6 million, with Seychelles's 0.1 million as the least populated.

The Data Sheet said Russia was the most populated in Europe with a population of 141.8 million followed by Germany and France with 82 million and 62.6 million respectively while the least populated country was Andorra with a population of 0.1 million.

It said Brazil was the most populated in Latin America/Caribbean with 191.5 million, Mexico second with 109.6 million, Argentina third with a population of 40.3 million while Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were the least populated countries in that region with a population of 0.1 million each.

The United States has a population of 306.8 and Canada, 33.7 million. Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand with populations of 21.9 million, 6.6 million and 4.3 million respectively are first, second and third in Oceania.