The presence of oil or other natural resources does not always lead to wealth and prosperity. Often, the possession of natural wealth leads to fierce political conflicts and long economic downturns. To explain that. the fact that countries endowed with rich natural resources often lag behind in economic development and even stagnate, the concept of a resource curse has been put forward. The purpose of this book is to help understand the causes of this phenomenon. Based on a comparison of the experience of various countries - exporters of natural resources and a study of the history of their defeats and victories, the authors of the book show what can be done to overcome the resource curse and ensure the fair distribution of benefits arising from the possession of significant natural wealth.