Many of them, for instance, were too dependent on high-tech exports, especially to America.

ECONOMIST: Ready to party?

Economies dependent on tourism -- for instance, Macau, the "Las Vegas of Asia, " -- would be especially hard-hit.

CNN: Pandemic equals economic pain

Jordanian industry, for instance, is highly dependent on Iraq, Jordan's biggest trading partner and its only supplier of oil.

ECONOMIST: Hoping to make a difference | The

It also is believed to be the first state to require all health care facilities to report every instance of a baby born dependent on drugs, according to Tennessee Health Department officials.

NPR: Tenn. Hospital Treats Drug-Dependent Babies

Most successful small businesses face a problem when they need to grow because they are overly dependent on one finite resource - for instance, the time and expertise of the lone baker who starts her own business.

BBC: American Giant: The problems of being an overnight success

The other lesson was to avoid becoming too dependent on any one market (in this instance, Russia).

ECONOMIST: The fine art of being prepared