<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
What is the explanation for why African countries are so far behind in so many ways to western countries?
<|assistant|>
The explanation for why African countries are behind western countries in terms of progress and development is largely due to the legacies of colonization and the post-colonial environment. Colonialism disrupted long-standing customs and economic systems and imposed systems that favor the interests of the colonizing nations. This has meant that development projects favor the interests of western companies, and that aid is typically not invested in local communities but rather in nation-building projects. In the post-colonial era, many African nations have been faced with economic decline, authoritarian rule, political corruption and instability, weak civic institutions, unequal distributions of wealth and power, and lack of access to vital resources.