Does a place called Africa really Exist in the world Economy

[tsaroz]

Africa is a continent and there are some small and large exceptions but backwards is still the first term associated with word Africa.
Africa still has many problems, most of them man made. They do keep blaming the colonizers and that surely is one reason for where they are but not the major one. Conflict religious or ethnic, corruption, and politics is what hurting them most. The militant culture have not let them try democracy for long. The money doesn't improve the situation either. African needs to learn to co-exist in order to prosper within and among different nations. The enemy of people is lack of education and poverty. 

[uneng]

Africa is a continent and there are some small and large exceptions but backwards is still the first term associated with word Africa.
Africa still has many problems, most of them man made. They do keep blaming the colonizers and that surely is one reason for where they are but not the major one. Conflict religious or ethnic, corruption, and politics is what hurting them most. The militant culture have not let them try democracy for long. The money doesn't improve the situation either. African needs to learn to co-exist in order to prosper within and among different nations. The enemy of people is lack of education and poverty. 

You have made some very good points. I remember hearing a story a long time ago from someone who had contact with an individual from an african nation who said that in his country, when one tribe developed more than another, had a good harvest, or was doing something more efficiently than its neighboor tribes, the ones around came to their tribe and burned things down. That is, they envied the thriving tribe and didn't allow its success to remain, and as consequence everyone was "forced" to live in misery and ignorance.

From this man's perspective, it was like working and improving yourself were reasons for punishment in Africa, accordingly to common sense. And I can perfectly understand this could be very true, because it's also a phenomenon I face in the third world country where I live, even though it happens in a much inferior scale when compared to african continent. When people envy their neighboors and don't want them to thrive, the whole society suffers and gets stagnant on time and space.

[Dunamisx]

The world second largest and second most populated continent after Asia, is a blessed continent filled with natural and minerals  resources with divers Culture and tribe with sub Saharan Africa being black

But as blessed as this continent is it is the most poorest and underdeveloped continent in the world, from slave trade to colonisation and now to neo colonisation Africa has been at the center of it

Sometimes its not by being the most populated or how endowed one is with abundance of some of these natural resources, some countries doesn't know yet how they can maximize the whole potential in what they were being blessed with, all these are happening because of the absence of the visionary leaders who could see beyond the ordinary things eyes can see and engage in the means to make an effective utility of these minerals in abundance in making life better for the people.

[stompix]

Imagine being a person who is given a chance to live wherever he wants, any nation he wants, would you prefer a place like London where you have absolutely no way of finding a job that will pay enough to even cover rent let alone anything else, just to look like you earn a lot, when in reality the amount is bubbled up and yet everything costs more than your salary?

Or would you rather live in a place where things are built in a much faster pace where you have a lot more chance to be in the ground level earning a lot more because your amount may look smaller, but you spend less and you have a lot more chances to earn from almost anything?

Simple question, let's see:
How many people drown in the Mediterranean and in the straight and suffocate in trucks to get to England?
How many people move from England to Africa? Even by plane?

This again, the same narrative, Europe is bad, Europe has no chance, and the rest is way better, yet in reality, nobody sees that this way!
Why are no migrant problems caused by Europeans, why I don't see anyone saying we don't want you anymore while millions flock to Europe?

The reality is that everyone sees as only hope not a life between his own citizens but far away, a life on the principles he criticizes when talking to others but in real life he wishes for!

but since the 1940s, they have been using CFA French money til 2023. using the money of the French while the French themselves abandoned this currency. forcing them to use the French money is economic slavery and this is why these countries will remain poor. you can imagine how much manipulation can be done to their economy while using other governments' money.

Again wrong!
The CFA is pegged to the euro since the birth of the euro in January 1999.

Denmark is also in the same situation, do you see Danish people complaining? Weird, isn't it?

[cryptosize]

The CFA is pegged to the euro since the birth of the euro in January 1999.

Denmark is also in the same situation, do you see Danish people complaining? Weird, isn't it?

Not a fair comparison... quite disingenuous I would say.

Danish krone is being issued by the Central Bank of Denmark. It's a sovereign currency, despite being semi-pegged (with a slight fluctuation) to the euro.

What does Africa have to do with ERM II?

CFA on the other hand was imposed to several African countries by France:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/10etjok/countries_that_use_cfa_franc_a_currency/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/zvlzb4/togolese_human_rights_activist_explains_french/

France lives beyond its means for this reason too... imagine being Macron and trying to communicate this to angry Frenchmen.

[stompix]

The CFA is pegged to the euro since the birth of the euro in January 1999.

Denmark is also in the same situation, do you see Danish people complaining? Weird, isn't it?

Not a fair comparison... quite disingenuous I would say.

Oh yeah every time there is an example that proves things work, no it's not like that...you need to look at...

Danish krone is being issued by the Central Bank of Denmark. It's a sovereign currency, despite being semi-pegged (with a slight fluctuation) to the euro.

And the

West African CFA franc is issued by Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, i.e., "Central Bank of the West African States"), in Senegal
Central Africa CFA franc is issued by the BEAC (Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale, i.e., "Bank of the Central African States"), located in  Cameroon

So the difference is....

Every time Africa needs somebody to shift the blame on it's something that happened 100 years ago, there was no f Poland 100 years ago, there was no Finland and Japan and South Korea have been nearly leveled by wars, but no, it's because of evil westerners, not because the thing that look back at you in the mirror!
Who butchered 2 million in the Rwanda massacre, who was pulling the trigger, and who was beheading people? Who killed 1 million in the Angola civil war? Yeah, crickets!
The same Africans that have their own co-nationals blood on their hands scream about the west!

2200 will come and there will be the same blame, all the other colonies would have gone from 3rd world to normal civilized countries but the ones in Africa will still scream colonialism!

 

[Fiatless]

Simple question, let's see:
How many people drown in the Mediterranean and in the straight and suffocate in trucks to get to England?
How many people move from England to Africa? Even by plane?

This again, the same narrative, Europe is bad, Europe has no chance, and the rest is way better, yet in reality, nobody sees that this way!
Why are no migrant problems caused by Europeans, why I don't see anyone saying we don't want you anymore while millions flock to Europe?

The reality is that everyone sees as only hope not a life between his own citizens but far away, a life on the principles he criticizes when talking to others but in real life he wishes for!

Many people I know who left for England were doing well financially in my country. To migrate legally to the UK you should be a middle or rich class in my country. Many of them might not make more money in Europe but they are moving because of better life. European cities are organised and have good health, security, educational and political systems that are far superior to what we experience in developing nations. So they prefer to work their ass out and get a better life than to be wealthy in a disorganized society.

So the difference is....

Every time Africa needs somebody to shift the blame on it's something that happened 100 years ago, there was no f Poland 100 years ago, there was no Finland and Japan and South Korea have been nearly leveled by wars, but no, it's because of evil westerners, not because the thing that look back at you in the mirror!
Who butchered 2 million in the Rwanda massacre, who was pulling the trigger, and who was beheading people? Who killed 1 million in the Angola civil war? Yeah, crickets!
The same Africans that have their own co-nationals blood on their hands scream about the west!

2200 will come and there will be the same blame, all the other colonies would have gone from 3rd world to normal civilized countries but the ones in Africa will still scream colonialism!

Those who still blame colonialism for the perils of Africa should have a rethink. No doubt Europe still contribute to the underdevelopment of Africa through loans, political interference and systematic corruption but it is Africa that holds the keys to its libration. Religious fanatism, tribalism and corruption are the main bane to Africa's development. The religious and tribal conflicts in Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, etc are clear indications that we need to first love ourselves before clamouring for love from outsiders.

[cryptosize]

Africans kill each other, therefore Europeans have every right to control them financially.

2 wrongs make 1 right.

Okay...

[oktana]

You can blame the continent. You’re already speaking on colonization that happened. It left scars that has been passed from generations to generations. But believe it gets better as time goes on (you can’t compare how Africa was back then to where it is today). Adding to that, many African countries are filled with corruption. With so much corruption, what good is all the resource? If other continents have what Africa does, they’ll maximize it. But like I said, based on the historical data, you can’t blame them.

[justdimin]

Every time Africa needs somebody to shift the blame on it's something that happened 100 years ago, there was no f Poland 100 years ago, there was no Finland and Japan and South Korea have been nearly leveled by wars, but no, it's because of evil westerners, not because the thing that look back at you in the mirror!
Who butchered 2 million in the Rwanda massacre, who was pulling the trigger, and who was beheading people? Who killed 1 million in the Angola civil war? Yeah, crickets!
The same Africans that have their own co-nationals blood on their hands scream about the west!

2200 will come and there will be the same blame, all the other colonies would have gone from 3rd world to normal civilized countries but the ones in Africa will still scream colonialism!

But it is just me, but I feel like it is not really about 100 years ago, but more regards to geography as well. Look at South Korea, they had one of the most deadliest war in the recent years, divided into literally two countries, and we need to remember that nothing changes and all looks like we are talking about something marginal, the reality is that they recovered and did better.

Africa can definitely recover, given enough investments, South Korea got huge investments from USA, but so did other nations and not all went as high as South Korea did, I think what Africa needs is more chances bottom out, because rich could be rich, but their poor is poorer than most nations, and if they can fix that, they should be doing fine. No nation where they need foreigners to come in and open a well, will ever get rich, no matter how much you try.

[|MINER|]

The situation in Africa is really bad, they are suffering from extreme poverty.  And the extent of their poverty is so great that they are not even able to provide for their food.  Their country's corruption and corrupt leaders are responsible for this situation.  Leaders in their countries only think about themselves and how to drive around in bulletproof cars.  They only provide security for themselves and their families.  But African leaders should step down from their bulletproof cars and look at the plight of the people.  And trying to reduce the amount of corruption in the country.  Looking at Africans is really confusing.

[beerlover]

People who underestimate Africa are people who have never checked world economy ever. You have absolutely no idea how economy works neither, because growth is the only thing that matters. Imagine being a person who is given a chance to live wherever he wants, any nation he wants, would you prefer a place like London where you have absolutely no way of finding a job that will pay enough to even cover rent let alone anything else, just to look like you earn a lot, when in reality the amount is bubbled up and yet everything costs more than your salary?

Or would you rather live in a place where things are built in a much faster pace where you have a lot more chance to be in the ground level earning a lot more because your amount may look smaller, but you spend less and you have a lot more chances to earn from almost anything?

This is so true, Africa is a whole continent, it's like saying "Europe is doing fine" when Europe has places like UK and Germany while also having Estonia and Belarus as well, those are not all the same, and so does Africa. There are nations which are growing and there are nations which are getting smaller as well, that's the most important part of this, and I think it would be quite important.

I believe that we could probably see some of the African nations to grow to a size where it's going to be actually a world force. One of the leading candidates so far has been Nigeria, it's a nation that does have a lot of poverty, but it also has a lot of growth as well, rich people are getting richer, just like all other European nations.

[Maus0728]

What makes you question the existence of the continent? Think about it this way, without Africa, colonizers wouldn't be as rich as they are right now if Africa wasn't part of their economy which means that yes Africa exist in a world economy. Another reason why it exists is because of common sense, there's a landmass and there's people that lives in that land/continent, if there's people in it then that means that there's a demand for things that they need in order to survive, if there's a need that can be fulfilled by the market then that means there's a circulation of money and products and services and with that circulation, you've got the economy, sometimes you really think that a question is profound in your head but then when you say it out loud, it was actually a shallow question.

[tyz]

What makes you question the existence of the continent?

It's fascinating how questioning the existence of a continent can lead to contemplation of its multifaceted impact and interconnectedness with the global economy.  I mean the presence of human populations within a continent, along with their needs and demands, undoubtedly shapes economic dynamics. The circulation of goods, services, and currency within these regions reflects the existence of a functioning economy.

[goaldigger]

What makes you question the existence of the continent?

It's fascinating how questioning the existence of a continent can lead to contemplation of its multifaceted impact and interconnectedness with the global economy.  I mean the presence of human populations within a continent, along with their needs and demands, undoubtedly shapes economic dynamics. The circulation of goods, services, and currency within these regions reflects the existence of a functioning economy.

Africa is a big continent with great countries, yes they may too dependent to other countries but if they will focus more on improving their system, I believe they can also be on a good position. The problem here is the corrupt government official as well, because they can be a great global power too if they wanted too as they also have the resources unfortunately they are being controlled by big countries already and forces them to do trading within that country only with a lower rate, and that makes them a puppet of other nation.

[bluebit25]

Africa's problems cannot simply be blamed on politicians. While corruption is the main issue, there are many other factors that influence the continent's development.

The enormity of colonialism and internal struggles hindered peace and disrupted stability and economic growth. In Africa, some countries do not have necessary amenities such as roads, electricity and clean drinking water. Therefore, if you want to reform an entire country from scratch, the first step is education. Creating a new capable workforce contributes to changing the face of the entire economy in the same way that China or Japan did in the past.

[Yaunfitda]

The world second largest and second most populated continent after Asia, is a blessed continent filled with natural and minerals  resources with divers Culture and tribe with sub Saharan Africa being black

But as blessed as this continent is it is the most poorest and underdeveloped continent in the world, from slave trade to colonisation and now to neo colonisation Africa has been at the center of it

What is really wrong with Africa that virtually everything an African is doing there is always an element of foreign culture in it, in fact from the God we call, to the names given to African children at birthday everything about Africa is foreign

Infact our economies are so bad that we depends on European for help, this lead me to the question, does Africa really exist, infact the only thing still keeping Africa is the black skin that her population is known for
I have come to the realization that the highest level of colonisation is mental colonisation because Africa is like a computer program that is running
 
Guys what is your comment on this

I guess the answer is very easy, I mean throughout the continent's history, European conquered them, exploited their natural resources and then force each other to fight each other instead of uniting it. And after that, Africa wasn't able to recover, leaders became corrupt themselves, and then the political instability from decades still persists today. So it will take a lot of time to fully recovery from that even though there are a lot of humanitarian efforts being done by the West. All we can do is hope that the leaders one day will wake up cooperate and unite so that they can alleviate the conditions in the continent. Not sure what you mean by the names given to them, again it boils down to colonialization and it's really hard to erase them not just in Africa, but in all other parts of the world that was once under a European or American.

[Yogee]

Infact our economies are so bad that we depends on European for help, this lead me to the question, does Africa really exist,

It does exist but it's still being controlled to this day by parties outside through economic and political influences. The West are likely to keep you all divided and disgruntled so they could keep you poor and keep relying on them. They will take advantage of your valuable resources at a cheap price in return.

Africa's problems cannot simply be blamed on politicians. While corruption is the main issue, there are many other factors that influence the continent's development.

The enormity of colonialism and internal struggles hindered peace and disrupted stability and economic growth. In Africa, some countries do not have necessary amenities such as roads, electricity and clean drinking water. Therefore, if you want to reform an entire country from scratch, the first step is education. Creating a new capable workforce contributes to changing the face of the entire economy in the same way that China or Japan did in the past.

I don't know how widespread it is but I bet there are citizens that hates China or Russia for building infrastructure there because their previous masters from the West tells them that they are the bad guys.

[Asiska02]

The enormity of colonialism and internal struggles hindered peace and disrupted stability and economic growth. In Africa, some countries do not have necessary amenities such as roads, electricity and clean drinking water. Therefore, if you want to reform an entire country from scratch, the first step is education. Creating a new capable workforce contributes to changing the face of the entire economy in the same way that China or Japan did in the past.

You are right about what you said but when you look in-depth into it, you will realize that the root of the problem will still be traced back to bad leaders and also corruption. Africa is not the only continent in the world that passed through colonialism, many other countries from other continents also were at some time under the jurisdiction of another nation. And when it was time for them to liberate, they did so and it worked for them and all are now developed countries without any trace of corruption. If Africa want to revive, they need to put in true and just leaders and not selfish ones that are already brainwashed and have the total mindset of corruption instilled in them.

Infact our economies are so bad that we depends on European for help, this lead me to the question, does Africa really exist, infact the only thing still keeping Africa is the black skin that her population is known for
I have come to the realization that the highest level of colonisation is mental colonisation because Africa is like a computer program that is running
 
Guys what is your comment on this

Africa will continue to depend on the European countries if a lasting solution is not found to this their way of life and thinking capability. The skin color of Africa shouldn’t be use to describe Africans as a whole because they’re are other black skinned people that are not from Asia and are well recognized and known from their origin where they reside. Africans might still be suffering from mental colonization because it is very idealistic that that is what is killing the Africans in the Africa nation.

[doomloop]

Lots of countries still experience the effects of colonialism. Especially those who never gotten out of poverty even after their independence and became third world countries. It is not unusual in third world countries to have colonization mindset where they think everything is better outside of the country. I feel sad especially when you know just how rich and diverse your culture is and how there are so many ways to make a living out of them but instead we are pleading at the same countries who had colonized us. I wish better for countries like these.

Unfortunately, I belong to a country where there is everything and we can do everything but we are still dependent on others because our government thinks other countries are better than us, and this mentality has made us have less value. It's not the fault of the citizens but the government, if the government starts giving their people better facilities, believes in them and gives them confidence that they can take their country ahead because if other countries can do something, why can't we do it? Then I think the people would contribute or stand with the government.

To have a country prosper or have everything within the country instead of being dependent on other countries for every single thing, the government has to play a vital role and the people will put in their efforts as well.