Sub-Saharan Africa, Essay Example

Of all the areas we have studied throughout this semester, those that make up sub-Saharan Africa have the greatest potential of using their resources to achieve greater economic success. One country that has high potential from this region is The Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, the nation is considered to have the richest country in terms of the natural resources it has available. However, these resources are mainly untapped, despite the fact that the value of these are worth more than 24 trillion U.S. dollars. Despite the high potential the nation has, is citizens are currently among the poorest in the world.

One step that the nation should take to achieve greater economic success, therefore, is to increase its involvement in the mining industry. One of the major reasons that it has not done so at this point is that the value of its leading resources have been reduced on the world market since the 1980’s (Starbird et al. 78). As a consequence, the economy crashed, further destabilizing the ability of the country to support itself. Despite the lowered value of these resources, it would still be beneficial for the country to find ways to mine and sell the products it does have. This would involve an initial investment to set up the infrastructure necessary to do so, and it may be possible to get these funds from investors or governments from allied nations.

Due to the country’s location, it is important for them to take advantage of the access they have to the South Atlantic Ocean on their west side. The government would benefit by building a port for trade in this area, which will allow them to access parts of Angola and Gabon more easily (Insoll 1). Since these countries have a more developed economy, there may be a market for these minerals in these areas. Otherwise, these nations can serve as a market center for these products, serving as stopping points until they are brought to other nations. In order to ensure that this would be successful, it would also be necessary for the country to strengthen its political ties with nations in the area and to establish trade partners on other continents. Doing so will be easier with nations that have a more similar governmental setup and therefore a cultural understanding.

Furthermore, the government should work towards establishing a sense of business culture in the area. While the government can regulate aspects of the trade market, it is essential for it to find individuals who would be willing to manage and work in the mines. Therefore, it may be necessary to provide training programs to these individuals and educate them on the potential ways that doing so will profit both the workers and their country (Egerton 1).

Ultimately, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s main issue is that it has goods that are valuable but does not have the infrastructure or resources to be able to sell them. Therefore, the nation must build ports for trade, strengthen ties with other nations, and build a local culture that welcomes the idea of mining. If the country adopts these policies, it is likely that its economic standing in the world will improve significantly. This success could potentially serve as a model for other Sub-Saharan African nations in similar economic situations.

Works Cited

Edgerton, Rober. The Troubled Heart of Africa: A History of the Congo. St. Martin’s Press, 2002.

Insoll, Timothy. The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Starbird, Caroline; Deboer, Dale; Pettit, Jenny. Teaching International Economics and Trade. Center for Teaching International Relations, University of Denver, 2004.