South Africa is an economy that is really important to understand as a kind of potential outcome case study of inequality gone bad. The nation itself, on paper at least is not so terrible, it is actually one of if not the wealthiest nation in all of Africa, trading back and forth quite frequently with Nigeria.

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The phenomenon of brain drain is when the best and brightest workers from poor countries immigrate to rich countries in the pursuit of higher pay and living conditions. This can hinder the development of poor countries because many of their best workers leave.

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With GDP per capita of just $2 per day, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest, if not the poorest nation on Earth. However, this does not have to be the case. The country has massive deposits of rare earth minerals including Cobalt, which is an essential input to the production of lithium-ion batteries. The mineral resources are estimated to be worth $24 trillion. So why is the DRC so poor?

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Canada is banning foreign investors from buying homes for two years to address the pandemic-induced surge in home prices. Economists warn it could have long-term effects on the economy if not managed well. Other economies are closely watching Canada to see if the move pays off.

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For decades now economists have been predicting that India would become an economic superpower, and in part, it has. India's workforce is younger than China's and wages are lower meaning they have been well placed to take low ticket manufacturing jobs from China. But could we expect to see India's economy grow and possibly even surpass China in the next decade?

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Pakistan's economy has recently come under pressure due to high levels of debt, currency devaluation, floods, and high prices for imported food and energy. So how bad are things likely to get and what are the possible solutions?

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Bangladesh has a troubled past, but it has been in a great position to grow dramatically in much the same way that its neighbour China has done in the recent past. Bangladesh is still a highly labour intensive market which makes it a great place to get T-shirts made, but a number of factors have made it painfully slow to develop beyond that. Could Bangladesh change things to become the next China?

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Last year's banking crisis in Silicon Valley, where three banks including Silicon Valley Bank failed, caused bank runs and put pressure on other banks like Credit Suisse. This is reminiscent of past US banking disasters such as the Great Depression and the 2008 recession. Many economists predict that more banks around the world will face similar pressures, so what are the causes and potential consequences of these failures?

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The EU, a unique economic giant, acts similarly to the US federal government, hinting at a "United States of Europe" with its shared currency, policies, and trade deals among 27 states. Despite its near-federal structure, it lacks some federation benefits, posing issues for its members. With a $20 trillion output, second only to the USA, it wields significant global influence. However, its major economies face stagnant growth, mirroring challenges for smaller members.

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Zimbabwe has not had the best past economically speaking. But what they do have is as much as 20% of the world's demand for lithium, the biggest deposits in Africa. So now that the raw lithium export ban has kicked in, and refining operations have started in Zimbabwe itself, will the country gain a massive advantage by exporting this incredibly necessary component of computers, electric cars and the internet?

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Oil and GDP are closely linked together, with the more oil consumed by a country generally meaning the higher the GDP of that country. With that said, energy costs of solar, wind and other technologies have come down substantially in recent decades meaning that "clean" solar power is actually one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity over its lifespan. So why haven't we switched completely over to solar? Well, it's not that easy.

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