
Originally Posted by
anawana
Let's be realistic now. Yes, it is an undeniable fact that Africa and Asia are home to the world's poorest countries, and that American Indians don't fare too much better as a whole. However,had Africa sank into the sea before the 1500s and European colonialism, history would have been different. European countries benefited immensely from African resources, and the development of the United States was dependent on it.
There were/are comparatively few gold mines in Europe. Most of the gold and precious stones acquired by Europeans over the past 400 years came from outside of Europe: Africa and Asia. The Americas were depleted of gold and silver, and much of the early mining was accomplished through forced labor of the native Americans. In addition to gems and precious metals, European countries received free labor for over 300 years during the slave trade of 1500-1830, which lowered the population of coastal countries and disrupted many communities, to say the least. Had Africa sank into the ocean before 1492, the United States would have developed and became industrialized at a much slower rate than it did.
Africa has had trouble "developing" because colonialism resulted in its rich resources being shipped off to other continents, and its inhabitants being prevented by colonists from owning its own resources. This was most notable during the "Scramble" that occured between 1876 and 1912. Many countries have only regained autonomy within the past 60-75 years or so; South Africa only recently stopped operating under an apartheid system.
Europe is a great continent with a rich history and impressive resume' of wealth, conquest and industrialization. Africa has experienced times of wealth and prosperity too: the civilizations of Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Egypt and Zimbabwe's ruins are a testimony to that. But I think it is reasonable to assume Africa will need the same amount of centuries to recover economically and socially from colonialism and slavery that Africa experienced colonialism and slavery.
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