Vatican City: Starting Wednesday afternoon, cardinals will gather in conclave in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican to elect Pope Francis's successor. Here are the key facts and figures about this highly secretive process.

According to Burkina Information Agency, there is a record number of 133 cardinal electors aged under 80, compared to 115 at the last two conclaves in 2005 and 2013. The representation includes 52 from Europe, 23 from Asia, 17 each from South or Central America and Africa, 20 from North America, and four from Oceania.

The electors come from 69 countries, a record number, with Jerusalem included in the list. The average age of the voters is 70 years and three months. Ukrainian Cardinal Mykola Bychok, aged 45, is the youngest voter, while Spaniard Carlos Osoro Sierra, at 79 years and 11 months, is the oldest.

A significant 81.2% of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis, marking their participation in their first conclave, numbering 108. Twenty were created by Benedict XVI, and five by John Paul II. Italy remains the most represented country with 17 cardinals, although its influence has diminished since there were 28 in 2013.

For the first time, 15 countries including Haiti, Cape Verde, Papua New Guinea, and South Sudan are represented in a conclave. The process involves four daily ballots-two in the morning and two in the afternoon-until a pope is elected. A two-thirds majority, translating to 89 votes, is required to elect a pope.

The ballot papers are burned in two stoves, one corresponding to the papers and the other to the chemicals used to color the smoke white or black, with both connected to the same chimney on the chapel roof. In the "Room of Tears" adjacent to the Sistine Chapel, three white cassocks of different sizes are ready for the pope-elect. The last two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, each lasted two days.