Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and United States territory which has struggled with poverty long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million people, 43.1% of the total population and 57% of children lived in poverty. For comparison, the U.S. national poverty rate was drastically lower at 13.1%. Poverty in Puerto […]
Equatorial Guinea sits off the west coast of Africa, comprised of the Rio Muni mainland and five volcanic islands. It stands as the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa and one of the largest exporters of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its wealth of natural resources and fertile soil, the rate of hunger is high, particularly […]
Standing equidistant from China and Vietnam in the South China Sea, the Paracel Islands seem at first glance like nothing more than a collection of barren, low laying islands. Yet, controversy surrounds the nearly uninhabitable archipelago. Occupied by China since 1974 but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, the Paracel Islands are a valuable geostrategic […]
Mariano Ebana Edu’s hit single, “Carta Al Presidente,” made big waves in 2013 for speaking up about poverty in Equatorial Guinea. In this passionate rap song, Edu, who performs under the name Negro Bey, criticizes President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s oppressive government for keeping its citizens in poverty. Although the oil-rich country has experienced rapid […]
For many citizens of the nation of Gabon, living on less than $2 a day is a harsh reality, with a third of the population living below the poverty line. However, this affliction of poverty in Gabon sharply contrasts the economic success of wealthier citizens, showcasing significant inequality within the country. Economic Successes and Failures […]
South Africa is a culturally and historically rich nation located at the tip of the African continent, bordering the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans. Home to 56.5 million people, the country represents a unique case of national development with several new advances, some even more relevant than one might expect. South Africa has seen undeniable […]
After the fall of its communist government in 1991, significant political, social and economic challenges confronted Albania. Albania is a country that lies on the Mediterranean Sea and borders Greece. The fall of the Communist Party left the country with high levels of extreme poverty that it needed to address quickly. As the government has […]
Since establishing independence in 1961, Sierra Leone, a country located in West Africa, has suffered from various conflicts and injustices including a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. As a result, Sierra Leone lacks significant development as a country, ranking 181 out of 189 on the 2019 Human Development Index. The nation remains […]
The common notion is that Papua New Guinea is composed of mostly of rural tribes and coconut trees; this is not true. In fact, the big island boasts an abundance of natural resources that include gold, copper, silver, gas and oil. Papua New Guinea’s resources have attracted many foreign companies to want to work in […]
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is an island country in Southeast Asia. Portugal colonized the territory in the 16th century under the name of Portuguese Timor, retaining control until the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor declared independence on November 28, 1975. Nine days later, however, the Indonesian military invaded and occupied East […]