Where are the least developed countries located? What are these powers? We are used to thinking that the worst people live in Africa, but is that true? World-class experts have compiled official statistics to identify where the standard of living is low and where it is high, where technology is developed and where it is not. That is how the list of least developed countries was created. Consider what powers are included in it.
Hot edges
Indeed, among the underdeveloped powers there are quite a few African countries. Perhaps the most expressive examples are Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea is a place where, according to experts, freedom of speech is oppressed more than in any other part of our world. Ethiopia is not much better - this camp lives mainly through agriculture. There is no high technology, no progress. True, unlike Eritrea, the Ethiopian future looks much more positive: international investors like China and India are actively pouring money into this country. Interested in the development of technology in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia.
Eritrea is perhaps the most prominent representative of the least developed countries. Currently, the state is one of the poorest. The situation is ruled by a party that completely controls everything that happens in the country, and the regime as a whole is actually military. Up to 80% of the population work in the field of agriculture, and in industry the most successful sector is the production of salt from sea waters.
South Africa: what other powers?
Among the least developed countries belongs to Angola. This South African state mainly receives money from oil sources located in the country. Up to 85% of GDP is due precisely to the export of oil and its refined products. The country also focuses on agriculture, most of which is exported. In recent years, the state has received large loans. Several developed and developing countries of the world acted as creditors at once. This has become a significant help, so Angola is currently developing. This is especially noticeable in volume buildings. Some experts suggest that with the right course of development of Angola in the near future, it will already cease to be mentioned among other least developed countries.
Zambia is a country with a large part of its population engaged in agriculture. Despite being busy in this area, people do not have decent means for an adequate life: only a little more than 8% of GDP is caused by agriculture, which means that the majority of the population are people below the poverty line. Natural features do not allow the practice of animal husbandry - a dangerous tsetse fly is abundantly distributed in these places. The industry of Zambia is primarily copper. Switzerland’s most significant export partner is Switzerland. According to experts, Zambia will be included in the list of least developed countries for a long time - too little money is invested, efforts are being made to raise industry and raise the standard of living in general.
What is in the west?
Which country is the least developed country in West Africa? Perhaps a good example is Benin. In fact, there is practically no economy here, and the authorities are not taking measures for its development. The predominant percentage of workers are engaged in agriculture, and cotton is also grown. Up to half of the entire population of the country work precisely in the agricultural sector. Industry is extremely weak - only marble, gold and limestone are mined in Benin. There are several textile factories, but most factories work with agricultural products. These products are goods for international trade.
Another representative of the least developed country group in the region is Burkina Faso. Almost the entire local population capable of working is involved in the agricultural sector - this figure reaches 90%, while only a small percentage of the land owned by the state is cultivated. On average, 23% of GDP is achieved through the efforts of workers in this field. The complexity of the task is that local lands are infertile and there is too little water - this greatly complicates the cultivation of any useful plants. Industrial enterprises are engaged in the extraction of gold, antimony, marble.
In the west is the Gambia. It is one of the least developed countries in Africa. Mostly residents are engaged in agricultural work. The country supplies peanuts to the international market. For local residents, alternative to agriculture is fishing as a possible employment option - fish are caught both in river and in sea waters. Industrial enterprises mainly work in the field of food.
East africa
The least developed countries in Africa include the Burundi power located in the east of the mainland. More than half of the local population are people forced to eke out a miserable existence. Burundi is currently one of the poorest nations on the planet. Almost half of all state-owned land is used for growing crops, and a larger percentage of the remainder is used for livestock farming. More than half of all objects of exported products are grain coffee. But there is practically no industry here. There are several factories owned by European entrepreneurs. The country has natural resources, but the development of deposits has not yet been established.
Things are no better in Djibouti. This power is also among the least developed countries in Africa. The main profit the country receives due to the presence of the seaport. In addition, a shopping area is organized. In recent years, tourism and communications have been developing. A certain percentage of services falls on the banking sector, which belongs to the three most developed areas of activity in the country, along with transport and the port. Up to 90% of the food needed by the local population, the country is forced to import. Permanent droughts made agricultural development impossible, and the livestock currently available is literally on the verge of death every hot season.
Malawi is another representative of the least developed countries in Africa from the eastern part of the mainland. Most of the population works in the field of growing various crops. Power has mineral deposits, but their development is not practiced. Most of all there are grown potatoes and cassava, corn. There are banana, tea plantations. Tea and tobacco are mainly produced for export; in terms of the volume of export of these products, the country is second only to Kenya.
The length of the border of Mozambique and Malawi exceeds one and a half thousand kilometers, and the standard of living in these countries is quite close. Both are on the list of least developed countries. Mozambique gained independence in 1975, became a communist power, but such changes clearly did not benefit: the economy collapsed almost instantly and since then there have been no jerks. Now the situation as a whole is somewhat better than several decades earlier, but this is due to financial support from abroad. According to experts, the dependence on external cash injections is too high, so there is no stability.
central region
DR Congo is a typical representative of the least developed countries in the world. The situation was worse here until 2002, but this year was a turning point for the history of the country and the rise began. So far, it is rather slow, and the conditions do not contribute to improvement - the country has strong corruption and big debts. Nevertheless, certain progress can be seen if we analyze economic indicators over the past decades. The most pronounced rise was observed after the end of hostilities, when foreign partners came to the aid of the country, active development of mineral resources began, but demand for products fell, which caused a new economic stagnation.
The least developed countries in Africa in the central region include Chad. Oil deposits have been found in this country, there are deposits of other valuable resources. Statistics show that more than 80% of the population are forced to live in poverty, and the economic situation is almost completely subordinated to external assistance. Up to 80% of the working population are engaged in subsistence farming, and the most promising industry is oil. In addition to oil, the country exports cotton.
Considering which least developed countries still exist in the central African region, it is worth paying attention to Equatorial Guinea. The country's income over the past few years has become much larger, since active development of oil fields has begun. The situation is extremely controversial: although the average level of wages reaches thousands of US dollars, more than half of the locals live in poverty. But from other African countries, many come here to try their luck and find a good place to find a job.
From the list of least developed and developing countries, it is also worth mentioning the Central African Republic (CAR) located in the central African region. The country has its own capacities for the production of electricity, but it receives other fuel from importers, which is why it constantly encounters interruptions in supply. Transport in the Central African Republic is weak, the financial system is predominantly formed by commercial banking structures, and 72% of the working-age population work in agriculture.
Life on the mainland is not easy
The most developed countries of the world are located in various parts of Africa. The list includes the powers:
- Guinea
- Cape Verde.
- Guinea-Bissau.
- Lesotho.
- Liberia
Mostly in all these countries the agricultural sector dominates, where the bulk of the working population is involved. The standard of living is extremely low, industry is practically undeveloped. In some countries, more than 80% of the population is forced to survive beyond poverty. Minerals or not, or their development is too complex. The transport system is extremely weak in these powers; there are interruptions in fuel and communications. In addition, corruption, low freedom of speech, and a low level of education remain significant troubles.
On the islands - no better
The list of least developed countries includes not only states located on the continent, but also some island powers. A good example is Vanuatu. Surprisingly, about 74% of the population here is literate, but this does not help to raise the standard of living: among the Pacific states, Vanuatu is third in poverty. It has been included in the list of least developed countries since 1995. The economy is developing, but very slowly. Experts believe that this is due to narrow specialization: the country is mainly agricultural. There are practically no minerals, not enough skilled workers.
Haiti is also on the list of least developed countries. This country is considered one of the most undeveloped on our planet. In the western hemisphere there are practically no places where people would live poorer than here. About 60% of the population are forced to survive in poverty. The main source of income for the inhabitants of the state is money transferred by people who have left here to their relatives. The country has several deposits of valuable resources, but they are not being developed. About a third of all land is cultivated, but agricultural activity is complicated by the relief.
The list of developing and least developed countries includes the country of Kiribati. The “Golden Age” of the local economy came in the period 1994-1998, when the power authorities took significant measures for the development of the state. All other time, both before this period and after, the country, although moving forward, is extremely slow. There are many reasons for this: there is little land, the country is far from large states that could be partners, the domestic market is small. It is extremely difficult to protect against natural disasters, which is also a serious problem.
A somewhat similar situation has developed in the Comoros. Power belongs to the least developed countries, and more than 60% of all local residents live in poverty. The level of education and qualifications of workers is extremely low. There aren’t even any sources of staple food - rice is brought from abroad. At the same time, there has been a steady population growth. The country has virtually no natural resources and is very dependent on external assistance.
Islands: what else?
The least developed island-type powers include:
- Madagascar.
- Sao Tome and Principe.
- Timor-Leste.
- Solomon islands.
- Maldives.
The complexity of life in these countries is due to various factors. Climate, landscape, and the specifics of creating trade ties play a role. Many powers simply do not have the natural resources and sufficient land for cultivation in order to grow food. This makes countries highly dependent on foreign aid.
Least Developed Countries in Asia: Southern Region
There are also many powers, the standard of living in which leaves much to be desired. For example, Bangladesh: at present, among the Asian powers, this is perhaps the poorest. The predominant percentage of the population works in agriculture. As floods destroy rice crops from time to time, Bangladeshis regularly go hungry. Main dishes - rice, fish. Handicrafts are common. There are several types of products for export, mainly food, jute, clothing. Both the country's population and the authorities of Bangladesh are actively working to improve living standards. Help is provided by outsiders. So far the situation has not changed for the better.
Bhutan has been one of the least developed powers since 1971. The main area of employment is agriculture. The country receives a certain percentage of profit from the sale of postage stamps. Bhutan is a destination for tourism, which also brings a certain amount of income. The difficulties of the economic recovery are associated with a shortage of skilled labor, so workers from India have to be hired. In addition, the country is located in an unfriendly landscape, so only a small percentage of the territories can be cultivated.
One of the largest least developed countries in the South Asian region is Afghanistan. The population is estimated at more than 34 million. The country is almost completely dependent on external sources of investment. Almost 80% of employed people are employed in agriculture. Unemployment a few years ago was estimated at 35%. One of the country's features is a well-established industry in the field of drug production. Currently, Afghanistan ranks first in such a business, exported (illegally) volumes from year to year are almost doubled. A particularly strong leap was observed after the invasion of American troops and NATO forces here.
Southwest asia
Of the least developed powers in this region, it is worth mentioning first of all Yemen. Among the Arab countries, this one is one of the poorest. The main source of state revenue is oil production, supply to customers. Up to 70% of the budget is due to it, but natural resources are depleted. Since 2009, it was decided to establish a new production line - liquefied gas. Products are delivered to South Korea, America. About 75% of employed people in Yemen are employed in the agricultural sector. In addition to oil, export items are fish and coffee. Almost a third of all transactions are with China.
Southeast Asia
Here is located Cambodia - one of the least developed countries on our planet. The two main items of state revenue are tourists, clothing production. The country is engaged in the export of timber and some other goods. About half of all transactions are made with North America. Investing in Cambodia is quite a challenge. Foreigners do not have the right to acquire land here, and an enterprise can only be opened if 51% of the capital is in the possession of a local resident. Since 2009, one of the foreign companies providing services in the country is Beeline, the Russian mobile operator.
Things are no better in Laos. Some progress in development began in 1986, when the state loosened control over the economic spheres, but the weak infrastructure does not allow reaching significant heights. 2003 . . – . . , – . , – , .
- . , . . 70 % . . .
Who else to pay attention to?
One of the least developed countries is Nepal. The power is located in the Himalayas, which to some extent explains the weakness of the economy. There are practically no plantations for cultivating the crops used for food, it is extremely difficult to build roads. Quakes are quite frequent, mudflows and other natural disasters. Mostly foreign exchange earnings are explained by the development of tourism. An impressive percentage falls on those wishing to visit Chomolungma and the nearby mountains - in order to pass, you must first obtain a government permit, the cost of which is estimated at several thousand dollars.
Pretty bad conditions are currently being observed in Samoa, but experts believe that the country will improve its position in the near future. The light industry is developing most actively, which attracted the attention of Japanese entrepreneurs interested in cooperation. The main difficulty in development is due to the climate - because of cyclones, it is extremely difficult to plan anything. Humanitarian aid is an impressive profit item for Samoa residents. Up to 90% of exported goods are products of the agricultural sector, in which about 60% of the population is employed.
Another least developed country is Sierra Leone. Despite the rich natural resources, the standard of living is currently extremely low. The situation is explained by a prolonged civil war. About 2/3 of the GDP is provided by the agricultural sector. The main food product is rice.
Concluding the review
The least developed countries include Mauritania. Currently, the country is developing, but the gap from neighboring countries is noticeable enough. To some extent, this is due to military conflicts, the scene of which was a power, as well as to the climate - droughts are frequent here. Moorish oases - places for breeding dates, grains. Since 2007, the Russian company has received a license to work with hydrocarbon deposits held by Mauritania.
Also among the least developed countries include:
- Mali
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Sudan.
- Rwanda
Pretty poor living conditions in Somalia. There is no official information about them, which is explained by civil unrest, military operations unfolding in recent years. Unofficially, it is believed that the economy is, moreover, there is some growth.
Also in the list of least developed countries include Togo, Niger, Tuvalu. The economy in Senegal is low.