The continent on our doorstep – but still far away
🌍 / Africa / #83
Good Morning,
Viewed from above, there are no big differences between Europe and Africa. That changes the closer you look. Above all, the economic disparities are still huge. The GDP per capita is 15 times larger in the EU than in Africa.
The leaders of all the 27 EU nations and 40 of their 55 African Union counterparts met this week in Brussels trying to improve (economic) relationships between the two continents. It's worth all the effort.
Africa is a giant in size and population but a dwarf economically. The European Union exports as many goods and services to Switzerland as it does to Africa (approx. worth 140 billion euros each year).
While the EU mainly exports manufactured goods to Africa, primary goods such as food and raw materials are the dominating imports from Africa to the European Union.
Imagine this would change. Suppose large parts of Africa were to prosper economically. The impact on Europe would be enormous. The competition for raw materials would intensify. Fewer migrants would rush to Europe. Africa would export fewer commodities and agricultural products but more advanced products and services, and we would therefore experience new services and products we cannot even imagine today.
Viewed from above, the differences between Europe and Africa are small. Hopefully, they will soon become small even when you look closer.
Have a hopeful day!
Johannes
sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_trading_partners_of_the_European_Union
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/world/europe/europe-africa-summit-eu.html
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