Top 3 wealthiest countries in East-Africa
Africa is well-known for its trading, agricultural and travel industries. These three main components are the basis of the African economic prosperity. According to the population count dated as of 2012, there were more than one billion people in all the African countries. Economic forecasters estimate that the expected level of African GDP should reach $29 trillion. So the question is “When?”. By 2050, they say. However, there are plenty of East African countries that have already reached a pretty high level of prosperity and wealth. Let’s look at the wealthiest East-African countries and their capitals.
Top 3 richest countries in East Africa
3. Kenya, Nairobi
Near the eastern shore of the continent lies not only a beautiful but also a prosperous country called Kenya. It has a lot of neighbors: Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan... Well, you are probably more interested in Kenya and why is it in our list? What makes Kenya so special?
The answer is very short and simple: GDP. Within the range of economies among the African countries, Kenya shows the tenth highest level of Gross Domestic Product (as of 2017 it is USD 74.7 billion).
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Unfortunately, things are not as great as they could be. Even though Kenya is considered to be one of the richest East-African economies, it struggles to level up in its Human Development Index which is only 0.519. From that perspective, Kenya holds the 145th place among 186 countries in the entire world. Quite sad, isn’t it?
Besides, it has a high level of corruption. But thanks to the rapid paces of modernization in the sectors of tourisms, telecommunications and university education, it has achieved a high level of GDP. About 62 percent of the aforementioned fields of the economy contributed to the general living standards of Kenya. The rest of GPD is gotten from the agricultural sector and other minor industries.
While speaking about other industries, we should mention the capital itself. Aside from the fact that Nairobi captures the spirit of the safari, it has also some other interesting “wildlife” aspects. The nightlife of the city is famous for its pumping tempo. It will be quite difficult to resist visiting Nairobi’s nightclubs, shops and restaurants. Don’t forget to check out the black rhinos in the National Park as well!
2. Tanzania, Dodoma
Maybe Tanzania is not the best player in the African economies table, but don’t pay too much attention to the GDP indicators this time. Even though the per capita level of GDP is lower when compared to the nearby countries in the region, it has been rising slowly, but steadily since 2009. Between 2009-2013 the growth index was 3.5 percent per year.
The designated place for Tanzanian government is located in Dodoma. It was officially chosen as the capital in 1974. People that live here, for the most part, have occupations linked to the agricultural sector. Many industries produce wood and furniture, canned food and similar stuff.
1. Sudan, Khartoum
Sudan is located behind the sandy prairies of the northeastern part of Africa. This country is on the list of the richest ones on the continent. Accordingly to GDP indicators, of course. Up until 2010, the economic development was growing quickly. And then the secession of South Sudan happened.
That meant that the largest percentage of all the oil fields that used to be shared within the same territory, would now belong solely to South Sudan. We are talking about 80 percent of all the oil fields. It goes without saying that it was the most profitable source of income for the country.
Luckily, things are not that bad for Sudan, otherwise it would not have been included on our list of Africa's richest countries, right? You see, South Sudan depends on the oil pipeline to Port Sudan. The agricultural sector is quite developed as well. It provides thousands and thousands of job opportunities for the people.
The capital of Sudan, Khartoum, has a lot of stories to tell. It was founded in 1821 and lived through thousands of reformations, conquests and historical events. Now that everything is settled down and cooled, it is a city with a lot of European-like buildings: starting from hotels and ending with airports.
For a newcomer it will be hard to orientate himself within the city. However, don’t be scared! The largest part of the city is located near Nile and it will serve as a good identification point. By the way, Khartoum is laid out on a grid surface. The capital is divided in three large parts. To be more exact they look like three stand-alone cities.
And they are spread out on very long distances. This fact makes it almost impossible to choose to take a walk when looking for places to visit. Maybe a rented car can help you. Among other things, Google Earth will be quite handy to familiarize yourself with the city’s confusing structure.
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Source: Naija.ng