social accounting

"The societies of East Asia and the Pacific include some of the world's most technologically advanced as well as the least developed. Nations in the region have withstood colonialism and its legacies as well as many modern wars. Measures of social progress range from the very high to the very low. On measures of physical health, people in the region generally fare well, but personal rights and freedoms vary greatly from place to place. From China to New Zealand, it is a region of contrasts, with a variety of approaches to bringing the best of life to the most people. Countries that have existed for thousands of years and others whose independence goes back only to the last century strive to meet current challenges. With tremendous cultural and ecological diversity among and within countries spread across vast distances, challenges ahead include protecting the rights of minority peoples and charting economic development that preserves the environment"--Amazon.com.

"The countries of northern and eastern Africa have fought hard over the years to become independent countries. Because of this struggle, individual rights and freedoms as well as standards of living have suffered in many of these countries. The economies of these countries often dictate the social progress they have made. In some countries where urbanization has increased, access to safe drinking water and medical care have also increased, for example. Since some of the countries in northern and eastern Africa are considered the poorest in the world, many nonprofit and governmental agencies have partnered with their governments to assist them. Some programs help them obtain food; others assist with medical resources; while still others help to provide money to fund the building of much-needed infrastructure"--Amazon.com.

Examines the social and economic conditions of Middle, Western, and Southern Africa, and discusses challenges for the future.