@nziiske asked “What factor(s) do you think contribute most to extreme poverty?”
I believe there are 2 main factors that have contributed to extreme poverty in countries around the world: Colonization and War. The continents of Africa and Asia have the highest percentages of extreme poverty in the world. The specific regions of the sub-Sahara and South Asia account for 85% of the world's poor population. A commonality of these 2 regions is that within the nation's history they were colonized. Many nations that were once colonized are yet to recover from the removal of the colonizing country. India for example gained its independence from England in 1947 and has roughly 84 million people living in extreme poverty. South Africa is known for having some of the best mining resources in the world, yet over half of the country's population lives in poverty. While their current government system plays a role in the lives of its citizens, South Africa's history of being under control by the Dutch-led to South Africa being an extremely divided nation that is yet to progress to suitable standards. Mali once the Mali Empire and home to Mansa Musa, was one of the richest countries in Africa if not the world. However, during the times of the slave trade and colonization, the Mali Empire fell and became a part of the French empire, it was not until 1959 the country gained its independence but has not recovered from being under the control of France. War has also led many nations that were once prosperous (or at least surviving) to fall below the world's standards of living and into poverty. Whether it be a civil war or international, the cost of the war is often too much for a country's economy to support. Iraq was once a highly developed nation that depended on its abundance on oil and natural gas. After a regime change to dictator Saddam Hussein, the leader went to war with its neighbor Iran in the 1980s and later the United States in 2003. The constant struggles of war for the last few decades have to lead to Iraq's poverty rate is around 30%. Instances of economic dependence or extreme economic stress that you see with the decolonization and with war.
