It is a very favored topic for me, ever since I read Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations published in 1776. He remarked in that book why Africa was poorly suited for economic decelopment by observing that Africa has very large landmass with relatively few rivers and little coastline.

Europe in contrast as a large amounts of coastline and rivers relative to landmass. This does not only favor creation of multiple states but also facilitates easier transportation of goods. Water transport before the railroad was something like 2000 times cheaper than land based transport. You simply cannot have mass production arising without access to effective water based transportation.

The Netherlands and Britain for instance are very well suited for canal digging. That is not the case pretty much anywhere else in the world outide of Europe. Certainly not in Africa.

Professor Terje Tvedt at the University of Oslo, writes a lot about the importance of water in economic and political development. Not just transportation but also for use in driving industrial machinery, irritagation systems etc.