Take a gander at this.
Comparing the size of African economies to those of English counties. London roughly equals Nigeria for example, the Seychelles the Isle of Wight, Zimbabwe Northumbria.
One point to be made being that we would consider someone entirely mad if they tried to suggest trade barriers in between English counties. Or infant industry protection for them, or self sufficiency of them. yet entirely serious people do suggest exactly the same for African countries and we let them get away with it.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Serf // Mar 4, 2013 at 9:56 am
Its like having The Somerset National Union, demanding export substitution through the protection of an indigenous Steel Industry, or Devon Airlines having a monopoly on Exeter Airport.
The Economist, in its report on Africa, said that it cost more to move a car between two African countries, than to get said vehicle from China in the first place.
2 bloke in spain // Mar 4, 2013 at 10:15 am
Yes. I can see why the comparison between London & Nigeria. Part of the reason I left.
3 john77 // Mar 4, 2013 at 4:20 pm
NOT Northumbria which included at least Durham and Yorkshire, and in some periods all eastern Scotland up to the Firth of Forth as well as Northumberland.
Zimbabwe’s GDP may come close to that of Northumberland but only a small fraction of Northumbria’s.
4 Luke // Mar 4, 2013 at 4:47 pm
John77, there must be a joke somewhere about the southerner who thought North Umbria was where you buy a villa if you can’t afford Tuscany.
5 Ian B // Mar 4, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Botswana.
6 fjfjfj // Mar 4, 2013 at 11:41 pm
But what are the populations of these places?
7 Luke // Mar 5, 2013 at 12:57 am
Minor problem that I have no knowledge of the research in this area, but is there an argument that small economies need protection more than large ones? How big was Korea in the 50s, or the US in the 1850s? I have no idea btw.
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