It has a young and growing population, a stalled economy with chronic high unemployment, inequitable wealth distribution, poor local and regional governance, and corruption.

FORBES: Political Will Key to Anticipating Outcomes for Egypt and Beyond

Africa, by contrast, has enjoyed average real growth of 6% a year for a decade, a savings rate of nearly 25% of GDP, debt measuring less than 25% of GDP, a young and growing population, massive internal investment and a political situation which is more stable than it has been in fifty years.

FORBES: Economic Dawn For The Dark Continent, Twilight For Europe

Without deep reform to Pakistan's laws and institutions, a young and rapidly growing population seems likely to continue drifting towards extremism.

ECONOMIST: Islamist militancy is alive and well

Whatever power structure emerges, Yemen's next leaders will face daunting tasks as they inherit a state where oil revenues have declined and the economy is in ruins, where poverty is endemic and a young and rapidly growing population faces a chronic shortage of water.

CNN: Yemen after Saleh: Still a treacherous road

Although Detroit's population is mostly black, a growing number of young whites and Latinos are moving in and renovating dilapidated brownstones they can snap up at bargain prices.

ECONOMIST: Detroit's mayor: A party too far? | The

Meanwhile, new specialized master's programs appeal to students, particularly those from China, eager to delve deeper into a single subject and gain a credential to compete with the growing population of educated young adults, without taking much time out of the workforce.

WSJ: Chinese Flock to the GMAT