Latin America has shown strength in the past year and is reaping benefits, with increased trade, investment and growth.

Long controlled by foreign players—Spain's BBVA and Santander, the United States' Citi, Britain's HSBC and Canada's Scotiabank together control almost 70% of the Mexican market's total loans and retail deposits—Mexico's banking industry is particularly vulnerable to the effects of global economic shocks.

For any country, neighbors on the border can be either the best of friends or the bitterest of enemies, but regardless they will always be significant economically, socially and politically. This is true for the partners involved in the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).

The financial crisis provides an opportunity to remodel the capitalist system, writes Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

With more than 20% of the world's oil reserves, Saudi Arabia stands to benefit significantly from rebounding oil prices and the global economic recovery. Demand for petrochemicals and refined petroleum products is picking up, particularly in the fast-growing economies of Asia.

Aside maybe from Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, few banks have emerged from the global downturn seemingly in better shape than they went into it.