How Can African Nations Achieve Economic Growth?

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When one is asked to think of Africa, several ideas might pop up. A few of the things that could come to mind when thinking are unstable governments, poverty, and starving people. The concepts that were thought up belong to a world unknown to citizens of a first world or rather “developed” nation. Many of the globe's not as advanced or “developing” nations find their place in Africa. These countries must improve upon basic fundamentals in order to be considered a developing nation. For example, a country must substantially reduce poverty in hopes of achieving their desired status. In order for African nations to further develop themselves, they must invest in higher amounts of free trade within Africa, which will boost economic growth, receive specified aid from developed nations and citizen participation, in order to improve their own government, and act as a follower country, which would be used to invest in better human living conditions.
Merriam Webster defines an economy as, “the process or system by which goods and services are produced, sold, and bought in a country or region” (Merriam-webster.com). An economy includes numbers such as the gross domestic product (GDP) and the income per capita. The term, GDP, means the collective income within a country. The income per capita simply means the amount of money “per each unit of population” (Merriam-webster.com). These are both important terms when it comes to determining economic growth. A high GDP and per capita income would demonstrate higher standards of living, which then in turn affect whether or not a country is developed. (Brue, Flynn, and McConnell 39W-5). However, growth does not simply determine if a nation is developed. The nation must show enough progress with its...

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