"Modern African economic development has generally lagged behind the rest of the world since decolonization, to the detriment of hundreds of millions of people. However, not all countries in Africa suffer equally, with vast differences in economic development across the continent. In order to craft effective economic growth strategies for accelerated development, understanding of the root of Africa's modern economic issues is key to truly addressing the disease of African poverty, and not just the symptoms. Through the use of most similar paired nation state studies, this thesis suggests that one possible root cause of these varied levels of modern development is the presence of exploitable natural resources at the onset of colonialism. By examining the colonists' reactions to the opportunity for quick economic gains in resource rich colonies, this thesis hopes to show that if a colony had readily accessible resources, the colonists formed extractive institutions with low levels of property rights, and these institutions survived decolonization, continuing to depress economic development in the modern era. The opposing nation in each case will attempt to show that when less opportunities for extraction existed, the colonists developed more positive institutions with stronger property rights, with more positive results on modern economic levels. These models of "extractive" and "inclusive" institutions are drawn from Acemoglu and Robinson's "Why Nations Fail" economic theory. These cases could show that resources, not the nationality of the colonist or non-resource geographic endowments, are possibly the strongest causal vehicle for modern economic success. Finally, the thesis ends with suggestions for the application of the model to other former colonies worldwide and potential policy options for organizations looking to treat the causes of African underdevelopment by emphasizing growth in non-extractive industries and the solidifying of property rights"--from abstract.