L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

Socialist system to becoming a zone of anomie, human strife and
subordinacy during the post-Soviet transition, till it finally reached
the current state of a dynamic though still volatile (re)emerging
power.
The dismembered Soviet Union gave birth to 15 new states
small and big, with varying levels of sovereignty, development potential,
and sustainability. Some failed to assert themselves as independent
players in the modern world and having abandoned one
multinational union had to submit themselves to another to survive.
Other, more sustainable states are exploring their new independent
roles in the new global configuration of political, military and economic
balance of power.
The Russian Federation officially pronounced itself the legal
heir to the USSR, having assumed all the obligations of the vanished
superpower under the international agreements, its external financial
assets and liabilities. After the prolonged period of economic disruption
and deterioration, in the beginning of the new Millennium, the
nation reemerged as a strong upgoing force of global political and
economic importance. Together with China, India, Brazil and South
Africa it makes part to BRICS an international group of rapidly developing
nations likely to occupy the key positions in the world
economy of the 21st century.
Historically, typologically, culturally and politically these countries
are very different. China, India and Brazil are classical Third
world countries, which due to the magnitude of their resource base
(population, land, natural riches etc.) and sage economic policies
managed to break out from the vicious circle of poverty and reassert
themselves as important global producers of manufactured goods.
Russia and South Africa on the contrary are the nations, whose
economies during the 20th century, despite all reservations, used to
be a part of what at that time was the modern First World. They lost
much of their relative economic might during the first decade of
their respective years of democratization period, but have gradually
restored their positions as regional economic leaders and unequivocally
continue as leading global suppliers of mineral (South Africa)
and energy (Russia) resources.
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