How did Zambia become the seventh poorest country in the world?
During periodic visits to Zambia over the past five years, I have often pondered why a country similar to south-central Nebraska failed to develop, whereas the fields of much of Nebraska are so green and productive. In the late 1800s, my great-grandfather (whom I referred to above) had to take his family back to his native New York for several years because of drought. Of course, as late as the “dirty thirties,” as we all know, no crops were raised at times. Irrigation followed, which magically converted the land to the cornucopia that it is today. Nevertheless, the differences between Nebraska in years gone past and Zambia today go far beyond water. Some of the answers are provided by Jared Diamond in his book “Guns, Germs and Steel.” Several fundamental points emerge from Diamond’s book. Modern civilization developed in temperate zones across China and the Middle East, then spread to Europe. Primarily because agriculture developed in these areas, allowing a few individuals to provide
