II. Population

Total population: 37.93 million (2008)

Ethnicity: 49 ethnic groups with 48 ethnic minorities with a combined population of 8.22 million which accounts for 56.45 percent of the total population

Literacy: illiterate, 28.1 percent; primary school education, 38.2 percent, junior middle school education, 25 percent; senior middle school education, 6.6 percent and college education, 2.2 percent.