Burundi has the lowest GDP per capita in the world, arguably making it the poorest country on the planet. An estimated 300,000 civilians were killed during years of violent civil war, and conflict and instability in Burundi have had a severely detrimental effect on the country's economic infrastructure and human development.

The recent history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been one of civil war and corruption. Aptly named ‘Africa’s World War’, the conflict in DRC has claimed an estimated three million lives over the last decade, either as a direct result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition. Children are by far the most vulnerable, with many thousands dying each year from malnutrition and other preventable diseases. Thousands of children have witnessed atrocities and many have seen a family relative killed in the conflict.

Apart from a five-year Italian occupation, Ethiopia has never been colonised, making it Africa’s oldest independent country. Nonetheless, Ethiopia is currently one of Africa’s poorest countries. It has been widely publicised in the media for problems regarding famine as a result of years of bad harvests, and even today a large proportion of Ethiopians depend on food aid from abroad. In 2009, the Ethiopian government claimed that as many as 6 million were still in need of food aid.

Situated on the Equator on Africa’s east coast, Kenya has been described as “the cradle of humanity”. In fact, some of the earliest evidence of man has been discovered in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley.

Violence following the disputed December 2007 Kenyan presidential elections led to the establishment of a power-sharing government that has been in place ever since. While this new government appears to be moving forward in its policies for improving development, recent fraud and corruption scandals are a concern.

Malawi is a landlocked country in south central Africa and is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west and Mozambique to the east and south.

Agriculture is very important to the economy. Most Malawians rely on subsistence farming but recent food shortages have increased pressure on Malawi’s already slim resources. The country is also prone to natural disasters - from drought to heavy rainfalls – which put it in constant need of thousands of tons of food aid every year.

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. It is commonly known for the genocide in 1994 in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed and much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed. In more recent years the economy has stabilised and progress has been made to rebuild the social, economic and judicial infrastructure of the country.

Home to the 2010 World Cup, South Africa serves as a leader in the social development of African countries. With 11 official languages, South Africa is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has been in a constant state of transformation. Significant improvements have been made in the provision of basic services, such as water and sanitation. Boasting the biggest economy in Africa, South Africa has a strong tourism industry and is a major world exporter of gold and minerals.

Sudan is the largest country in Africa and shares borders with nine countries - Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is a vast country with a wide range of landscapes, including deserts, mountain ranges and rain forests.

Uganda, often referred to as the 'Pearl of Africa', has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and has benefited tremendously from significant social development over the past 25 years. During the state-sponsored violence that occurred under the rule of military dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s and Milton Obote in the early 80s, an estimated 500,000 Ugandans were killed and many more foreigners were expelled from the country. Following the inauguration of President Museveni in 1986, the standard of living for many Ugandans has significantly increased.

Zambia is a land-locked country in southern central Africa and shares its borders with eight other countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.