Africa Rising: Sub-Saharan Africa Set for 2012 Boom

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Rising demand for natural resources is a boon for countries such as Sierra Leone, Niger, and Angola. But high consumer prices still pinch Africa's middle class.

If you want to hear some sunny economic forecasts for 2012, it's best not to go looking in the United States - where GDP will grow by a lackluster 2 percent - or the eurozone, where the economy will actually get smaller this year.

No, if you're looking for good news you'd be better off turning to the world's poorest region, sub-Saharan Africa, where the economy is set to grow by nearly 6 percent in 2012.

And that growth won't be limited to regional powerhouses like Nigeria and South Africa: One …