Why is Africa so Poor?

Question

Why don't the people live these resource less lands and live somewhere fruitful? Why does West continue to lenghten their misery? Is it our problem they became so poor and have no resources?

I am probably wrong.. please prove me wrong.

Answer 1

Lack of Private Property Rights
Lack of Private Property Rights
Lack of Private Property Rights

Dictators, Warlords, and Thugs
Corrupt Governments
Economics buffoons on planet Earth who oppose Free Trade

Have I mentioned Lack of Private Property Rights?

Read this article, please. You'll get a whole new perspective rather than the typical Bono / Jolie / Guilty-White-People buffoonery.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,363663,00.html
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Answer 2

Africa is probably the most resource laden continent on the earth. In much of the continent the climate is temperate and ideal for growing crops. Minerals abound. Most of the diamonds are found in Africa and South Africa has enormous gold mines.

Colonialism has something to do with the problem. The whole idea behind this concept was to get as much out of the land and people as possible without investing much in it yourself. You notice the colonial powers did not concentrate on building an infrastructure or providing for the population. Their focus was not developing a market in which the natives would be able to buy manufactured goods. In fact the people themselves were looked upon as an exploitable resource via slavery.

Imagine that you were born in abject poverty with no means of getting an education or even nourishing your family or your self. This breeds hopelessness and fatalism which encourages reckless behavior hence the aids epidimic. I am not saying that the population is totally exempt from responsibility. Regardless of one's circumstances there is a moral responsibility to do what is right .

At some point WE have a responsibility to help them just as we would wish to be helped if we were living under the same circumstances.

Answer 3

First of all, the mistake of the West was supplying food and medicine allowing the population to explode exponentially beyond the means of their own land to support themselves. Second, it was in showing the people in these countries all these great toys and luxuries they don't have (or need really). We send tractors, that will require operators, parts, fuel and repair, when we should send draft animals and horse/mule/oxen drawn equipment. More could be done to improve the food growing situation, but they must be careful not to try producing food on land that will eventually fail, such as depleting the water aquifer with artificial irragation. Climates and weather varies, trying to live and farm in marginal conditions always has proved disasterous in the long run, throughout known history climate changes have forced migrations. But there is the exploitation issue of politics, governments that want control of natural resources like minerals, or that keep their population starving to death so they can skim off humanitarian aid programs, such as North Korea does,m and then there are the crisis caused by religous wars, like Somalia, Darfur and Ethiopa, where all these war lords want to be the top dog and care not how much blood they spill to gain power. It's the same old story as always. Bright young students leave for other countries to study, with hope by those host countries that they will take their knowledge and go back to improve their native land, but instead they do everything they can to stay, and it doesn't help their country at all. It should be a law they must at least return for ten or twenty years to try improving their country, fleeing it doesn't improve anything. I do not believe these countries in Africa "became" poor, they judge themselves poor by comparison with other countries that advanced faster because those people faced greater challenges requiring change to survive. If they "became" poor it's only because their population exceeded the water and food capacity of their land. The "West" may have made this worse by trying to keep more of them alive, but we didn't tell anyone to breed so many kids.

Answer 4

you dont seem to know much about African history,
It has been exploited forever by stronger nations ,
like the Arabs ,then the English,the Dutch ,the French,Cecil Rhodes went in armed both oposing sides and set them at each others throats ,he picked up the pieces after ,got he countries for a song and walked away with the diamonds and gold,
Many countries have done similar things ,
Disease has been planted in Africa ,as well as political unrest ,so that the people would die and the natural resources would go abroad ,
this still happens ,
the UN does unbelieveble atrocities in the name of peace,
and yes the western world is totally responsible for ravaging Africa and murdering it s people
Most political unrest and national wars ,are started by the first world
dictators are helped into position

Answer 5

why dont you ask those hippies who wont let a free trade agreement or globalisation
that way can have companys set up and trade around the world giving them employment and money
australia japan and america want this even though will lose money and business but giving poor counties a chance
but europe wont have this
so **** europe you greedy bastards
remember we've been feeding africa for decades now and they dont ay sign of improving at all
give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day
but teach a man to fish and he can eat forever

Answer 6

In my opinion, Africa is poor because it doesn't have a lot of access to the waters. And because of it, plus the heat, its very unlikely for companies to open a business there. Having a business there can give them jobs, improve their lifestyle and introduce them to the modern world. But like I said, it is unlikely for companies to do business there and give opportunities to the Africans because of the difficulty of "shipping" and transportation.

Answer 7

Bueno no tiene gente que administre bien su tierra no les ayuda,bueno y la biblia dice uno de los hijos de Noe fue maldecido por burlarse de el,Entonces el le dijo seras esclavo de tus hermanos,,,

Answer 8

The government keeps all of the assests to themselves and cares less about the people.

Answer 9

you know i ask myself that same question..Why are they so damn poor and why don't they do something about it?.it's like 2000 they can't think up of anything to enrich'n themselves with?..its very weird .