Rank 1:-
Country Name:- Somalia
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.1
Somalia is located in The Horn of Africa, a region in the easternmost
part of this continent. In ancient times, this country was a significant
grounds for commerce. During the late nineteenth century through mid-twentieth
century, Great Britain and Italy began colonizing parts of Somalia, leading to
conflict with local government. This lasted until 1960, when the Somali
Republic gained independence and unity.
Somalia
has lacked an effective government since 1991. In addition to no central
control, radical militant groups are a huge problem in this country, and the
issue of Islamic insurgency does not seem like it will go away any time soon.
In such
a lawless country, many business warlords have taken advantage of the situation
by skipping taxes, selling food and drugs that are expired, and commercializing
public-sector parts of the economy for their own profit. The government powers
that do exist are considered extremely ineffectual, and do not provide
sufficient food or education resources. In addition to the government having no
reliable source of income, Somalia’s citizens face kidnapping, murder,
roadblocks and many other means of arbitrary violence. Along with to all of
these inland problems, water off of Somalia’s coast is plagued with pirates, so
it is not a safe place to visit.
Rank 2:-
Country Name:- Myanmar
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.4
Myanmar, also known as Burma, probably wins the prize for worst
public relations of the year. Last fall, the military-led government cracked
down on protesting monks, killing a few in the riots that broke out as the
government rounded up protesters. Internet access was blocked to prevent news
from getting out to the outside world.
To
top it off, in May the Burmese government hindered international relief efforts
after the most damaging cyclone in its history, which killed an estimated
130,000. America's first lady, Laura Bush, has led an active campaign against
the military junta, calling on international bodies to pressure it to move
toward democracy.
Rank 3:-
Country Name:- Afghanistan
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.4
Afghanistan is located in Central Asia, being a
landlocked mountainous country that has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Many different types of people have lived in Afghanistan throughout the ages,
being in a geographical and social location between the Middle East and Central
Asia. Various empires had presence here, including the Mughals and Timurids. Afghanistan
even acted as a buffer zone between the Russian and British Empires in the late
1800s.
In addition to violence and poverty, corruption
is seen as a huge problem to overcome in Afghanistan. According to a UNODC
survey, 59% of people in Afghanistan perceive dishonesty as a bigger problem
than insecurity or unemployment. Bribery is a huge issue, as well as people
making money from opium. However, these two factors are considered to be the
two highest sources of income in the country. While this does generate money
for some, Afghanistan is still one of the poorest countries on earth.
Rank 4:-
Country Name:- Iraq
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.5
Along with its complicated political history, the past few
decades have been plagued with violent conflict. There was a war between Iraq
and Iran from 1988-89, followed by the Gulf War in 1991. The invasion by US
troops in 2003 practically destroyed the economy of Iraq, and insurgency is
still a factor of everyday life. Violence was at a peak in 2007, but has been
in decline since then. Nevertheless, people in Iraq are far from safe;
kidnappings, bomb assaults, shootings and robberies are very common in its
cities.
The
government of Iraq is still very unstable, and the minority groups like Kurds,
Assyrians, Roma and Iraqi Turkmen are still treated below Iraqi Arabs. In 2009,
the ministry of trade was accused of buying food unfit for human consumption,
and then selling this food to traders instead of giving it away, making
millions of dollars in revenue. Though there is a war on insurgency, the war of
corruption is perceived as an equally detrimental problem.
Rank 5:-
Country Name:- Uzbekistan
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.6
After being ruled for over 100 years by the Russian Empire and
the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan became a sovereign nation in 1991. Today,
Uzbekistan is the most populated country in Central Asia, and is rich in
resources like cotton, gold and oil.
Despite
its history, the country of Uzbekistan is currently full of complications,
politically and socially. For many years, corruption has been a growing issue
in this country that only keeps getting worse. Economic development is under
strict control by Uzbekistan’s government, as they do not allow the growth of an
independent private sector. Even though the population suffers from poverty,
officials continue to restrict foreign investment and imports. The key exports
of this resource-rich country only reap benefits for the ruling elite, so the
rest of the population does not prosper from any of this exclusive wealth.
Though
Uzbekistan has a constitution, many human rights organizations denounce this
country as being authoritarian, having a government that takes extreme measures
against human rights. One example of this is how the Tajik population is not
allowed to speak their own language, and their literary works are often
destroyed. The Uzbek government is also known for implementing torture, and not
allowing any legal political opposition. While the constitution does allow
press freedom, in actuality, the government maintains strict measures of
censorship.
Rank 6:-
Country Name:- Turkmenistan
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.6
Turkmenistan is a politically corrupt nation, largely due to the
government being controlled by one party. The current leader of this country,
Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, is known as being very vain, also promoting his
own cult of personality. Since his rule started in 2006, he has named a mosque
after himself, and made sure that bookstores were stocked with his own work.
Turkmenistan
remains underdeveloped, partially because of the lack of direct foreign
investment from other nations. The government also has a monopoly over the
media. This country does not allow political gatherings, unless they are
sanctioned by the government.
Turkmenistan
is also notorious for being a racist country. There are many regulations
against the citizens being allowed to travel abroad. Institutions often
practice discrimination against non-Turkmen minorities; universities are often
told to reject applicants who do not have Turkmen family names.
Rank 7:-
Country Name:- Sudan
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.6
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, and its
land has a wide geographical diversity. Located in the northeastern section of
this continent, the culture of Sudan has an extensive history that goes back to
ancient times. It is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the
Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Crisis.
Southern Sudan has seceded as an autonomous
region in July 2011. Though it is set to be a separate state, this region still
remains one of the poorest places on earth. There are high levels of corruption
in Southern Sudan, causing a major block to any progress. Because of the many
violent episodes, the regional infrastructure has been destroyed, and due to
its lack of money, a new system will be very hard to rebuild.
Rank 8:-
Country Name:- Chad
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.7
The Central African country of Chad is consistently in the
top-ten list for most corrupt nations. In addition to being one of the world’s
poorest countries, it is considered incredibly unstable, as rebel forces often
attempt to overthrow the government; Chad’s president, Idriss Deby, has faced
two attempted coups in 2006 and 2008. Part of the reason for this unrest is
that he removed the two-term limit on presidency from the constitution to start
his third term in 2006, which caused uproar from his opponents. These are some
of the reasons why Chad has earned its nickname, the “Dead Heart of Africa.
Most
citizens of Chad are extremely poor, living as subsistence herders and farmers,
in which people can only tend to what can feed their families. Access to water
is a common problem in this country. Ever since Chad’s civil war in 1987, the
development of a railroad infrastructure has been hindered. The communications
system is at a bare minimum; there are only about 14,000 fixed telephone lines
for the entire country. The print media is heavily censored by the government,
and most of the people there cannot read anyway. Most of Chad’s roads cannot be
used for several months throughout the year. Parents are often negligent to
send their children to school.
Rank 9:-
Country Name:- Burundi
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.8
Burundi is a small, landlocked country of Eastern Africa. It has
had an unfortunate history of corruption and violence that has lasted up until
today. Burundi used to be a part of German East Africa, then became a UN trust
territory in 1923. This country gained independence in 1963, but this was only
followed by years of coups and brutal rebellions.
Burundi
has had ongoing problems of ethnic tensions and fights. The population consists
mainly of the Hutu (about 85%), and the Tutsi (about 14%), which was an identity
enforced by the Belgians in 1933. Though these two separate groups are a
reality for the inhabitants of Burundi, they are culturally and historically
very similar people.
In 2009, Ernest Manirumva, the country’s head
anti-corruption campaigner, was abducted from this office, taken to his house,
and stabbed to death. In addition to large measures of corruption, Burundi’s
citizens suffer from problems like lack of education, poverty and high rates of
HIV/AIDS.
Rank 10:-
Country Name:- Equatorial Guinea
Corruption
Perceptions Index Score:- 1.9
Equatorial Guinea has been through an unfortunate history since
the 20th century. They became an independent nation from Spain in 1968. Their
first president, Francisco Macias Nguema converted Equatorial Guinea into a
single-party state in 1970, which was followed by a reign of terror that killed
thousands of people and displaced even more. This dictator was overthrown in
1979, and President Teodoro Obiang has ruled ever since. Even though this
country lists itself as a constitutional democracy, their political elections
are almost always seen as rigged, and there have been over 10 attempts to
overthrow the government.
Today,
Equatorial Guinea makes a great deal of money from oil wealth, but this money
is mainly distributed to people in the government and elite class. About 70% of
the population is living under $2 a day, and the development of living
standards has been very slow. This country also has one of the worst human
rights’ histories in the world. According to the UN, less than 50% of people in
Equatorial Guinea can access clean water. Its press is also heavily regulated
and censored.
