12. GUINEA
FSI
score: 101.9 
Less than two years ago, Guinea elected its first democratically chosen president -- Alpha Condé, formerly an opposition leader who ran on a platform of reform -- and just one year ago, Condé survived an assassination attempt by members of the armed services. Despite the rocky start for democracy in Guinea, the West African nation has continued to push forward with ambitious plans for development. Rich in mineral deposits (it has the world's largest supply of bauxite, used to make aluminum), the Guinean government is attempting to increase its mining capabilities by opening the country's first iron mine. It began production in June 2012, but Guinea's expansion has already attracted attention for possible corruption. Britain's Sunday Times reported that backroom deals threatened to divert millions of dollars in assets from companies investing in Guinea, even as the government tries to reform a mining industry that has been in chaos during the transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Here, supporters of a Guinean opposition party clash with police as they protest against president Alpha Alpha Condé on May 10, 2012, in the capital city of Conkry.
CELLOU BINALI/AFP/GettyImages
