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Why is Africa less developed than other continents?

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it was a colony of the western countries. it was divided between britian, france etc... and it is the same for america(south) and asia. but they got themselves on track now i think. and it will take some time for africa to do this too. Do you now understand why the western countries are more developed than other countries?????

Reply 21

Xerophelistica

To all the people claiming colonisation from outsiders has made Africa into the state it's in now:

Zimbabwe - When under British control it was known as the "breadbasket of Africa". The black people kicked out all the British, and now it's got a broken economy and has been reduced to a state of anarchy.

Besides, before other countries started colonising Africa, all they had was a tribal society. Everything they have now (buildings, etc.), however small, is a product of other countries invention and inspiration.

Oh and also, are you ignoring the fact that MILLIONS are given to Africa in aid every single year, and they are still completely dependant on it to survive, having made no progress at all?

Reply 22

Tsukuyomi

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

lol a beyblade fan :wink:

, africa isnt a country, also the main reason why this continent is still under develped is due to corruption, diseases and poor decision making :smile:

corruption and greed

Circumstances, Colinisation, Fighting over resources with a high value in the western market.
You've seen blood diamond right?
Tyranical leadership, rebellion, lack of infrastructure, lack of tradition and institution i.e. educational institutions. The fact that the had no partake in the French Revolution and the Enlightenment project or any kind of economic or social revolutions maybe?
Anyone who has said in this thread that Africa as a continent has "got themselves on track" obviously does not keep themselves up to date with current events.

Reply 25

Rule Britannia

TheJeebs

Are Australia and New Zealand western, or do they not count?

Of course they are western. That is the point - Japan is a non-western country that has modernised.

Reply 26

Rule Britannia

PGtips92

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

Would you like to explain why these are not issues in places like Singapore and Hong Kong?

Answers on a post card.

Reply 27

generic hybrid

Xerophelistica

Yeah, colonialism is great! Let's arbitrarily carve the whole continent up again and grab some resources. Maybe kickstart that whole "slave trade" thing again, since it was so misunderstood. I mean hey, it brought all those slaves into civilisation, right? lol!!

Reply 28

username133326

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.

thats because they were the only 'non-western' country to modernise voluntarily

colonialism ruined africa, 'western' ways are not compatible with its landscape/climate (farming), but now its population cannot rely on traditional methods to feed themselves (westernisation has caused overpopulation in the context of traditional methods)

africa wasn't broke until the west 'fixed' it (and the 'fixing' is just propaganda anyway....a more fitting term is 'raped'..)

Reply 29

Rule Britannia

generic hybrid

You have no idea how funny it is to hear an American saying this on a European forum. Might want to look closer to home dearie and perhaps research the role Europeans had in abolishing slavery world-wide. Quite different to American actions at the same time :wink:

Reply 30

Xerophelistica

generic hybrid

Slavery ended 100s of years ago. In all those 100s of years, they still haven't improved from the day the first colonist set foot there.

Of course slavery was bad, but don't let it distract you from what we're actually talking about - why Africa is still undeveloped, even now.

Reply 31

KiiNGofLONDON

Rule Britannia

Would you like to explain why these are not issues in places like Singapore and Hong Kong?

Answers on a post card.

Common language. Common national identity. Within some African 'countries' there are the remnants of hundreds of individual tribes and communities, each with their own languages and identities.

Reply 32

Rule Britannia

Barden

the diamonds being from africa? but being sold by western corporations? thats rape

Would you like to explain to us how they would even get mined at all using African technology?

Reply 33

Sakujo

KiiNGofLONDON

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.

Inadequate usually refers to not sufficient. If you meant somehting else then please explain.

KiiNGofLONDON

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.

Yes, I will go and buy a book about economic theory in order to understand something mentioned on the internet. :rolleyes:

KiiNGofLONDON

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.

Well if you meant this then why didn't you say so? Resource distribution would've sufficed.

Reply 34

Tha_Black_Shinobi

Xerophelistica

Everyone talks about this notion that Zimbabwe was thriving when white people ran it but when those silly little black people got control they ran it into the ground. Wrong Mugabe was the one that has put that counrty in its position. Germany didn't get fucced after WW2 because of any faults of the German people it was because of the rule of Hitler

Reply 35

Stomm

About 3000 years of history, acrtually make that more like 30,000 years of history. It's long, bloody, and they've had a lot more time to develop plenty of differences with their neighbours over which to slit each other's throats...

Reply 36

generic hybrid

There's no point seriously arguing in this thread as it is full of trolls. :fyi:

Reply 37

Kai Hiwatari

Guys whoever gave me minus rep, what was the point in that! I already corrected myself that Africa is a continent not a country, i knew that in the first place! I just wrote country in the title because i wasnt thinking about what i was typing!

Just thought id add that XD

Reply 38

Xerophelistica

Kai Hiwatari

Lol who cares about rep? It just so happens that people like to "punish" other users for not agreeing with them, especially if they aren't able to come up with an actual response themselves :p: