Some of the world poorest countries (48 in 1995) designated by the UN as 'least developed' on the basis of health care
, literacy, and per capita income
. Most of them are in Africa, few in Asia and Pacific, and one (Haiti) in the Caribbean. They are generally characterized by subsistence agriculture
and varying degrees of lack of competitive
industries and exploitable natural resources. Many of them suffer from droughts, floods, hurricanes, and pests, have little prospect
of any significant improvement
in economic prospects in the foreseeable future, and are likely to remain heavily dependent
on external aid for many years.