Cote d’Ivoire Essay Example for Free

Cote d’Ivoire Essay Cote d’Ivoire was one of the most stable societies for decades, until a crisis hit them in 1986 which caused the collapse of cocoa prices worldwide. This country is the biggest producer of cocoa in the world, so they were affected pretty badly. The cocoa plantations started in the 1920s in the southeast part of the country, expanding to the center west and then to the southwest by the 1970s. Every year the state would fix the prices of cocoa and the differences in price between world and country would be taken by the government there. They would, however, use it on the country for better living. The income from cocoa is mainly what inspires industrial growth, along with the development of infrastructure. The capital was Abidjan (capital of the former French colony) until it was moved to Yamoussoukro after the crisis occurred in an attempt to balance the country out; which so happens to be the birthplace of the current president. Despite the capital moving, most of the wealth remained in Abidjan. After the crisis jobs became so scarce, especially in places such as Yamoussoukro that people would move back to the rural areas in an attempt to find jobs. With a surprise, they found there was little land left and a lot of foreigners; creating tension. With all that tension, land and crops turned into a sort of politics; over who was Ivorian and who wasn’t. Now, as this country struggles with higher populations and few jobs, will they overcome it? Gabon Gabon is one of the richest nations of Africa south of the Sahara. They rely on crop harvesting and natural resources such as oil, although a non-renewable source. Gabon happens to be the 13th largest exporter of oil. When Gabon first gained independence, lumber was 75% of their exports. Today, it is 6% of their exports because of the importance of oil. Their main way of making funds is through oil, which is 50% of their exports. While it brings in a lot of money for the country, it causes citizens to struggle since it is harder for them to sell their goods such as crops. If they continue to rely on non-renewable sources, when it runs out their country will suffer. The president, however, is working on trying to rely less and less on oil. They plan on exporting more lumber and crops. Part of the issue, is that Gabon only imports 50% of their required foods and the citizens suffer for that. With all the sudden logging in forests they are endangering the species living within it. So after hard work of group members from the National Geographic Society, the president announced that there would be a National Park system covering 10% of the forests. Wealth in Gabon is fairly unbalanced; there are those who make plenty of money while there are those that make enough to make it by. Majority of the population resides on the coasts in two cities, Port-Gentil and Libreville. Between those two cities there is no means of transportation other than by air or by water. It is difficult to go between the two cities. One-third of the population resides in the capital city, Libreville, nicknamed â€Å"The City of Bees† because of the fact they are all piled atop one another. As this country works, to relieve its issue of vulnerability and lessen the dependence of oil, they work together to provide for one another; both animal and people alike. Laos Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world, despite their efforts to raise way of living. The Mekong River is 11,000 miles long through and along Laos, serving as a barrier between Laos and its neighboring countries. That is, until â€Å"The Friendship Bridge† was constructed, connecting Thailand and Laos together. Laos is the least developed country amongst its area, and life expectancy there is low; fifty three years roughly. Many of the children are malnourished, about 43% of them. Children have also been dying, falling prone to Malaria and other diseases, diarrhea, or infections due to lack of clean facilities and medicines. That and much of the population reside in the rural areas of Laos. Laos is using hydro-electric power to connect them to the rest of the world. They produce an excessive amount of electricity, more than they can use. So they sell all that excess electricity to Thailand for good profit. They make only can use 20% of the electricity they make. Laos has over 60 dam sites that can eventually be developed into a hydro-electric power plant. It is a hope that they can use this to improve the country and to help its people. However, they cannot afford to pay for construction of the dams and generators required. Another problem is the effect it would have on the people living near the river. Will the dam make enough money that causing problems for the villagers below will be worth it? Another thing is the fact that only 8% of the rural population is connected to the electric grid. Roads connecting to China and Thailand are in progress, for more networking between the countries. One issue that worries citizens of Laos is the major problem of AIDS/HIV in Thailand. While â€Å"The Friendship Bridge† is definitely something they have always needed, they do not want their country suffering even more than it already is because of it. The president of Laos wants his country to grow, but at a rate that is suitable for everyone so they can all adapt. He believes that a country growing too fast is a bad thing; that humans shouldn’t grow so fast. So as they work toward building dams for their hydro-electric plants for profit, they will have to decide which dams will be good in the long run, for everyone.