The governor of Banque du Liban's conservative approach has set Lebanon on a firm post-crisis footing, and has enabled the country's banking sector to ride out the 'Arab Spring' uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa with relative ease.

India's vast infrastructure needs should make a larger bond market in the country indispensable. However, there are many regulatory obstacles to overcome.

With its high economic growth rates and a good macroeconomic performance, Peru faces both the challenge of its number one trading partner, the US, bracing itself for another recession, and the fact that poverty now affects 31% of the South American country's population.

After recording relatively sluggish growth in last year's survey, this year's ranking shows the Islamic finance industry posting impressive figures, passing the $1000bn mark in assets for the first time.

The renminbi is on a path to becoming an international currency, and the first step of the journey is for the Chinese currency to be used to settle trade payments. As businesses begin to see the benefits of using renminbi for trade settlement, banks are competing to make their mark on this growing business.

From drawn-out court cases to labour union strikes, the trials and tribulations of the multinational banks that have tried to invest in South Korea have left many observers with the impression that the country is hostile to foreign capital. 

Nigeria has revitalised its banks following their crisis two years ago. They are now far healthier and are once again making strong profits. But the shake up of the industry will continue for a while yet, as the affects of recent consolidation – including the creation of two new top tier banks – begin to be felt.