What is Life expectancy?
'''Life expectancy''' is how long a [[Human|person]] is expected to [[life|live]]. It is based on many factors such as country and [[Healthy lifestyle|life style]] including [[smoking]], [[diet]], and [[exercise]]. [[Image:Life Expectancy 2008 Estimates CIA World Factbook.svg|thumb|400px|CIA World Factbook 2008 Estimates for Life Expectancy at birth (years). {| width=100% |- | valign=top | {{legend|#ff00ff|over 80}} {{legend|#9f00ff|77.5-80}} {{legend|#0000ff|75-77.5}} {{legend|#009fff|72.5-75}} {{legend|#00ffff|70-72.5}} {{legend|#00ff00|67.5-70}} {{legend|#bfff00|65-67.5}} | valign=top | {{legend|#ffff00|60-65}} {{legend|#ffbf00|55-60}} {{legend|#ff7f00|50-55}} {{legend|#ff0000|45-50}} {{legend|#9f0000|40-45}} {{legend|#000000|under 40}} {{legend|#bfbfbf|not available}} |} ]] There are great changes in life expectancy between different parts of the world, mostly caused by differences in public health, medical care and diet. Much of the excess mortality (higher death rates) in poorer nations is due to war, not enough food, and medical conditions or diseases ([[AIDS]], [[Malaria]], etc.). Life expectancy has generally improved since records started, in both healthy people and those with chronic or critical illnesses or defects. However, over the past 200 years, countries with black or [[Africa]]n populations have generally not had the same improvements in mortality rates other peoples have had. Even in countries with a majority of white people, such as USA, Britain, Ireland and France, black people tend to have shorter life expectancies than their white counterparts. For example, in the U.S. white Americans are expected to live until age 79, but African Americans only until age 75 (as of the year 2013). Climate may also have an effect, and the way data is collected may also influence the figures. According to the [[CIA World Factbook]], [[Macau]] has the world's longest life expectancy of 84.4 years. There are also significant differences in life expectancy between men and women in most countries, with wo