1. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Do not be mistaken with the sister, the Republic of Congo. In 2010 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known as Zaire until 1997) has become the poorest country in the world. The Second Congo War in 1998 and its aftermath in 2008, that involves at least 7 foreign armies, had killed 5.4 million people and devastated the country. The war is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II.
2. Liberia
Liberia is recovering from the effects of the civil war that killed hundred of thousands after the president of Liberia being overthrown in 1980. About 85% of the population lives below $1 a day. A peace deal in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005. Liberia was founded and colonized by freed slaves from America that made up the elite of the country and established a government that closely resembled that of the United States of America.
3. Zimbabwe
The life expectancy of Zimbabwe is the lowest in the world – 37 years for men and just 34 for women. One of the problems for the early deaths are the 20.1% of the population with HIV and AIDS beside the economic problems. The health issues aren’t seeing any improvement.
4. Burundi
Approximately 80% of Burundians live in poverty and according to the World Food Programme 57% of children under 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition. The epidemic of HIV/AID has grown rapidly since diagnosed in 1983, making it one of the major causes of mortality in the country. Burundi is also known for its tribal and civil wars and have never really had any peaceful time.
5. Eritrea
In ancient times, Eritrea was known as the "Land of the Gods". For some time it was part of Ethiopia. Eritrea became an independent country in 1993.
Eritrea is affected by the Italian colonizers of the 19th century. Eritrea’s advantage of controlling the sea route through the Suez Canal made the italians to colonized it just a year after the opening of the canal in 1869 and same reason the British conquered it in 1941. The present Eritrea’s economic conditions have not improved.
6. Central African Republic
Extreme poverty and armed conflict make the the diamond-rich CAR (Central African Republic) remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
7. Niger
Blood Flows With Oil in Poor Nigerian Villages. Africa is expected to provide the United States with a quarter of its oil supply in the next decade, compared with about 15 percent now, and much of it will come from the Gulf of Guinea, where the once quiet Niger Delta sits. Now hundreds roiled this potentially vast field of crude oil. But much of that oil will come from places like Obioku, and with it a tangled and often bloody web of conflict marked by poverty and a near abdication of responsibility by government.
8. Sierra Leone
A West African country with English as its official language, Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base and home to the third largest natural harbour in the world where shipping from all over the globe berth at Freetown’s famous Queen Elizabeth II Quay. It is among the top diamond producing nations in the world, and mineral exports remain the main foreign currency earner and also among the largest producers of titanium and bauxite, and a major producer of gold. Despite this natural wealth, 70% of its people live in poverty. If you have seen the movie Blood Diamond you should know that it is based on Sierra Leone.
9. Malawi
Malawi has been in the news recently since Madonna (the pop icon) has adopted a child from the country and pledged money to help build an orphanage for AIDS victims. Malawi is riddled with poverty and disease. Malawi has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world, with 53% (2004) living under the poverty line.
Togo is a very poor country and even the capital Lome is visably very poor with the majority of roads being unpaved. This small, sub-Saharan economy suffers from anemic economic growth and approximately one half of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.
11. Madagascar
One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar is very rich in minerals and metals. Approximately 69% of the population lives below the national poverty line threshold of one dollar per day.
12. Afghanistan
Afghanistan is probably the only poorest country in the world that doesn’t need any introduction. Due to the decades of war and nearly complete lack of foreign investment, the nation’sGDP per capita stands at $956. Its unemployment rate is 35% and 42 % of the population live on less than $1 a day. As tribal warfare and internecine feuding has been one of their chief occupations since time immemorial. History has never seen Afghanistan lose a war. They might be one of the poorest but they know how to fight. Instead of a traditional army they simply resist with small counter attacks that eventually tire out the enemy.
13. Guinea
Guinea also has diamonds, gold, and other metals. The country has great potential for hydroelectric power. Guinea’s poorly developed infrastructure and rampant corruption continue to present obstacles to large-scale investment projects. From independence until the presidential election of 2010, Guinea was governed by a number of autocratic rulers, which has contributed to making Guinea one of the poorest countries in the world.
14. Mozambique
One of the poorest and most underdeveloped country in the world, 75% of the population engages in small-scale agriculture, which still suffers from inadequate infrastructure, commercial networks, and investment. The minimum legal salary is around US$60 per month.
15. Ethiopia
Ethiopia is known as the 'Horn of Africa', at crossroads between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Ethiopia suffers from poverty, and poor sanitation. In the capital city of Addis Ababa, 55% of the population lives in slums. Despite its fast growth in recent years, GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world, and the economy faces a number of serious structural problems.
16. Mali
With 50% of the population living below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some of its natural resources are gold, uranium, livestock, and salt. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River and about 65% of its land area is desert or semidesert.
Guinea-Bissau’s legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking in narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. With 60% of the population living below the poverty line, drug traffickers based in Latin America use Guinea-Bissau, along with several neighboring West African nations, as a transshipment point to Europe for cocaine. The government and the military did almost nothing to stop this business.
The Union of Comoros Islands once played a major role in a thriving world economy of the western Indian Ocean. The archipelago arose from the seabed of the western Indian Ocean as a result of volcanic activity. The four major islands are Ngazidjia (Grande Comore), Mwali (Moheli), Ndzwani (Anjouan) and Maore (Mayotte). As of 2008 about 50% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day, due to numerous coups d’etat since independence in 1975.
A woman in Fort Dimanche laying out biscuits to dry, biscuits made of butter, salt, water and dirt.
19. Haiti
Poverty, corruption, and poor access to education for much of the population are among Haiti’s most serious disadvantages. Haiti’s economy suffered a severe setback in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince, and neighboring areas. Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty, the earthquake inflicted $7.8 billion in damages. Seven out of ten Haitians live on less than US$2 a day, according to the International Red Cross.
20. Uganda
Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 37.7 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day. Poverty remains deep-rooted in the country’s rural areas, which are home to more than 85 per cent of Ugandans.
