/...A/40 /sLg EngIi 6h Page 22 averaqed less than 3 per cent per year. many of the latter countries, standardanearly a guarter of a century.clven high rates of population grouth lnaf llving have effectively stagnated for 41. l+le plight of the least developed countriea is most stsrkly seen in Afri.ca,the only continent where standards of living have ateclineil during the past tlecade,contlnue to decline and are projecteal to decline in the baseline projectlonsthrough the year 2000. Honever, a comparison of the higher- and louer-grordthscenarios shows relatively llttle ioprovement for Africa ln contraat to otherregions. unless the recent decline in Africa is quickly checked and growth anddevelopment are put back on a rapid anar sustained course, there m€y soon unford abunan drama of poverty, hunger, desperatlon and politlcal strife in Africa, moreintense and ,iridespread than the Hor1d has ever seen before. 42- Africa incrudes a large number of the pooreat countrles in the $orlal. Theaverage annual percentage change in per capita GDp in Africa ha6 been negatlvesince 1973i -r.o over the period 1923-1929 and -1.6 subsequently. wttlte not arlcountries of Africa have fared eguar-ry badry, nrcst African countries have suffereddecrining rear per caplta cDp since 1990. and tlpst of the row-income sub-saharancountries have auffered large decrlnes in real per capita cDp since 1970. The realper capita GDP of these countriee was about 16 per cent less in r9g3 than in 1970.
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the economic situation in Africa, highlighting the decline in standards of living, stagnation of population growth, and decrease in per capita GDP. It also mentions the potential consequences of this decline, such as poverty, hunger, and political strife. The text does not mention natural resources, environment, agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry, transport, communication, health, education, employment, humanitarian aid, or culture.

**Category**
Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief