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Because it's not a country.
Reply 2
Parts of Africa (continent) are doing OK.

But as a whole there is lots of corruption.

Edited: you could write loads about this from political instability to the hatred of corportations/the west due to the slave trade etc. Weather, climate, location, wars, trust, communication links, pay, government policies, religion etc all pay a part plus a whole lot more including culture, society and education.
Reply 3
Corruption (although I suppose that could come under political instability...) In some cases there are also problems with an over reliance on aid. You should read 'Dark Star Safari' by Paul Theroux; it's an excellent insight into many of the problems in Africa.

But Africa isn't a country. There are some countries that don't do too badly as well, so it's not always accurate to generalise.
Other countries?

Africa has very few problems - or rather all its ills are symptoms of a few deep problems. Namely corruption. Africans have a tribal mindset "You want to build here? My dad is village chief - what do you buy him?" etc.
Reply 5
Kai Hiwatari
Hey, the question is in the title lol XD im really stuck on this...all i can think of is because of political instability, companies are reluctant to invest there, dry climate means less useful resources, lack of people who able to pay for foreign goods so companies dont go there...if anyone has any answers id appreciate it! =) thanks


Fail. Africa is not a country.

Anyway-think about WHY there is political instability etc etc. (ie have a think about the history of Africa)
Actually the climate isn't a problem. Africa is HUGE, there are a whole range of climates, it's not just one big desert like the media tends to protray it as.
Political instability.
Inadequate natural resources.
Lack of education.
Many small, isolated communities - prone to war.
The list goes on tbh...
Lell
Fail. Africa is not a country.

Anyway-think about WHY there is political instability etc etc. (ie have a think about the history of Africa)


Looking at the history of Africa won't tell you a lot. Other parts of the world had it much harder then Africans did and are doing much better today.

The answers lie in African society and culture.

If you want you can contrast it to Japan - the only non-western country to successfully modernise for a very long time.
KiiNGofLONDON

Inadequate natural resources.


Wrong, Africa has one of the best natural resource endowments of any region of the world. Look at mining, agriculture in Africa was massive in areas ran by white farmers etc...the problem is black farmers or more rather the culture, politics and education of black farmers.
Reply 10
Rule Britannia
Looking at the history of Africa won't tell you a lot. Other parts of the world had it much harder then Africans did and are doing much better today.

The answers lie in African society and culture.

If you want you can contrast it to Japan - the only non-western country to successfully modernise for a very long time.


While I agree that other parts of the world have had it hard, I would still hold that at least some of the explanation lies in Africa's history.
Ah sorry!!! I meant continent! XD But thanks for your answers so far =)
Reply 12
KiiNGofLONDON
Political instability.
Inadequate natural resources.
Lack of education.
Many small, isolated communities - prone to war.
The list goes on tbh...


Africa has plenty of natural resources. That's where most of Africa's GDP comes from.
In more rural countries (Uganda, Rwanda and what not) they are more partial to a tribal system; conflict naturally arises.
Reply 14
overpopulation???
Reply 15
Colonisation to add to your list...
Climate? Natural resources? Are you people real?
Rule Britannia
Looking at the history of Africa won't tell you a lot. Other parts of the world had it much harder then Africans did and are doing much better today.

The answers lie in African society and culture.

If you want you can contrast it to Japan - the only non-western country to successfully modernise for a very long time.


Are Australia and New Zealand western, or do they not count?
Rule Britannia
Wrong, Africa has one of the best natural resource endowments of any region of the world. Look at mining, agriculture in Africa was massive in areas ran by white farmers etc...the problem is black farmers or more rather the culture, politics and education of black farmers.


Sakujo
Africa has plenty of natural resources. That's where most of Africa's GDP comes from.


Ah the intricacies of language. Both of you have taken 'inadequate' to mean something along the lines of 'not enough'. That is not what inadequate meant in the context in which I used it.

Have either of you ever heard of 'Dutch Disease'? If not I suggest you both pick up a copy of Paul Collier's 'The Bottom Billion', and pay particular attention to chapter 3. The distribution of resources in Africa has played a major part in Africa's inability to keep up with the rest of the developing world.
Reply 19
colonisation which screwed up the 1000s of existing community boundaries + decolonisation + untrained, incompetent, corrupt leaders + geography (climate hospitable to diseases / big desert etc) + screwed even now by the West (CAP subsides etc --> our farmers have an unfair advantage) + loads of other **** = mess

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