With the residual effects of colonialism, decades of violence, exploitation of resources, and a string of corrupt leaders, it’s no real surprise that the world’s 10 poorest countries are in Africa. Crippled by civil wars, drought and disease, some African nations are trapped in a cycle of poverty. The tragic irony is that most of them are endowed with rich natural resources, including diamonds, oil, and gold, yet a large majority of the population never reaps the benefits.
A country’s wealth can be measured by its per capita GDP, an approximation of the value of goods produced per person. The lower the value, the more impoverished the nation. For the sake of comparison, the per capita GDP in the United States was approximately $47,000 in 2010. Here are the 10 poorest countries according to their per capita GDP (as of 2010).
