Poverty in Africa is a major problem, and it's roots run deep.

One of the primary reasons that Africa is the poorest continent in the world is based on it's colonial history. The national boundaries of Africa's countries were designed specifically to generate unrest. Lines were deliberately drawn that split allied ethnic groups, and groups rival groups together. This was done so that the colonial governments could maintain control. It's a classic case of "divide and conquer".

Unfortunately, when these nations gained independence, they maintained those old colonial lines, and you can see the results, most notably in places like Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda, and the Sudan.

These ethnic and tribal distinctions run deep in Africa, and that leads directly to another major problem. Most Africans tend to relate more to their tribe than to their nation. Their "patriotism" is ethnically based, not state based. People might therefore consider themselves "Huutu" before "Rwandan", or "Ibo" before "Nigerian".

It is therefore no surprise that the national government is rife with corruption at all levels. People feel loyalty to their group and their region, so they act in what they perceive to be the best interests of that group over the whole of the state. They also are less likely to object to bribery, because they view their national position as a constructed entity instead of "their" country. The problem, of course, is when every official works under those guidelines, none of them win.

Another major problem in Africa is the AIDS epidemic, which has really grown out of control there. This is in part due to widespread religious beliefs against the use of contraception, and (paradoxically) a widespread disregard for marital fidelity and rampant underage sex. These governments can not handle basic day-to-day matters, so it is little wonder that they have no answers for a problem of this magnitude either.

Finally, it should be mentioned that large areas of Africa frequently experience famine. Much of this is due to above-mentioned factors; civil wars lead to refugees without food, and corrupt governments waste aid resources.

A stark example of this fact can be seen with the American mis-adventure in Somalia. The Americans came there in an effort to ease a humanitarian crisis, but were attacked by the very people they were there to help, because the warlords in charge saw the aid as a threat to their power.

The real reason for starvation

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