DEVELOPMENT

Question 1

What are shanty settlements (favelas) like?

Answer 1

1. Houses are densely packed together.
2. They are built illegally and could be knocked down by the
   authorities.
3. They are usually built on land which developers do not want to use
   e.g. hillsides, near railway tracks, on marsh land, on the outskirts of cities etc

Question 2

The opportunities and challenges of living in a city in a newly
emerging country (Rio):

Answer 2

1. Rio is a city in an emerging
   country (Brazil) which has seen
   rapid rates of urbanisation.
2. Some people live in modern
   apartments and housing,
   whilst others live in favelas
   (shanty settlement/ illegal) on
   the edges and hillsides of the city

Question 3

Opportunities of living in Rocinha (a favela in Rio):

Answer 3

1. Located in Rio which has the highest income per head in the
   country, so jobs could lead to wages for food, medicines and sending
   children to school.
2. 88% of housing is connected to the main water supply, so less
   diseases e.g. cholera.
3. Housing has electricity, which means an improved quality of life e.g.
   being able to heat and light the home.

Question 4

Challenges of living in Rocinha (a favela in Rio):

Answer 4

1. 12% of the population do not have access to clean water, so might
   be forced to drink dirty water with the risk of getting diseases.
2. Unemployment in favelas is 20%, so many people do informal, cash
   in hand jobs. Pay can be low, so they might not be able to afford basic
   medicines and food.
3. Only 50% of waste is collected, so waste builds up in the streets,
   sometimes leading to vermin and mosquitos, which can increase the
   risk of diseases, such as malaria.
4. Crime can be a problem in the area.

Question 5

Urbanisation is a key feature of emerging countries:

Answer 5

1. The world’s population is becoming more urbanised.
2. The fastest rates of urbanisation are taking place in the emerging
   countries.
3. People are moving from the rural areas to the urban areas; the pace of this
   movement is rapid.

Question 6

Possible push factors from rural areas:

Answer 6

1. Mechanisation of primary industries (farming) means few jobs.
2. Potential drought, lack of food and clean water.
3. Lack of schools, meaning less chance of children getting an education.
4. Difficult to access medical care, meaning illness and disease may go
   untreated.
   They are pulled to the city as there are many jobs in the manufacturing
   industries, with improved wages.
   As well as a reliable food and water source, access to medical care and education

Question 7

TNCs as a route out of poverty:

Answer 7

1. South Korea is a good example of a country which historically used TNCs to
   help it develop.
2. During the 1960s they encouraged companies to set-up within the country.
3. They promoted their cheap labour force, and ensured workers worked long
   hours.
4. Companies such as Ford set-up in S. Korea.
5. The S. Korean’s used taxes to improve schools and develop their own
   industries.
6. Today S. Korea is home to some of the biggest companies in the world,
   including Samsung, LG, and Hyundai.
7. The South Korean example demonstrates that TNCs can significantly help a country develop

Question 8

What type of countries are TNCs usually found in?

Answer 8

A transnational corporation is a company which has its headquarters in one
country (normally a developed country), and its factories elsewhere (normally
an emerging or developing country).

Question 9

Foxconn (Apple in China)

Answer 9

Foxconn has factories in Shenzhen, China. Inside the factory electronic items
are manufactured, including the iPhone, an Apple product from California.

Question 10

Opportunities of Foxconn in China

Answer 10

1. Wages in the factory are just above the
   minimum wage at £152 per month, which
   means people have money which they can
   spend on other things, which can lead to a
   positive multiplier effect.
2. In total 300, 000 people are employed at
   the Foxconn sites at Shenzhen, this meansan increase in taxes for the government and therefore increased spending on
   schools and hospitals.
3. Workers are learning new skills, this means they may start developing their
   own companies. Many Chinese companies are now big global brands e.g. Huawei

Question 11

Challenges of Foxconn in China

Answer 11

1. Workers work extremely long hours sometimes without breaks (up to 60 hrs
   per week), this means they may not see their family, reducing quality of life.
2. Rules inside the factories can be strict, in the past there have been reports of
   financial punishments.
3. Foxconn is said to pay a relatively small amount of tax to the Chinese
   government.
4. The company is footloose, meaning it can leave at any time, therefore
   workers worry that the company will close, and they will become unemployed.

Question 12

Is the Brandt line still relevant?

Answer 12

1. The Brandt line suggests that there are
   just two categories of countries, developed
   and developing.
2. This was created in the 1980s and was
   based purely on GDP.
3. The rise of the BRIC and MINT countries
   does undermine the line.
4. 7 of the countries are found south of the
   line.
5. Today many countries are seeing a rapid
   increase in their GDP per capita

Question 13

Who are the emerging countries?

Answer 13

Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRICs) & Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey (MINTs)

Question 14

What are the characteristics of BRIC countries?

Answer 14

1. The BRIC countries are the countries with the fastest growing
   economies world-wide.
2. They are located in South America (Brazil) and Asia (Russia,
   India, China).
3. They have a large land mass.
4. They tend to be rich in natural resources.
5. They have large populations, which are generally young.
6. They play a key role in world trade, with China being the world’s biggest exporter

Question 15

What are the characteristics of MINT countries?

Answer 15

1. The MINT countries are another four recently emerging
   countries.
2. One is located in South America (Mexico), two in Asia (Indonesia
   and Turkey), and one on the east coast of Africa (Nigeria).
3. Similar to the BRIC countries, they have large land masses and a
   young population.
4. Nigeria’s growth has been based on exporting oil.
5. Mexico is home to many TNCs (see below), such as Fiat,
   therefore exporting secondary products world-wide.

Question 16

How did China become an emerging country?

Answer 16

1. China had a very low minimum wage compared to developed
   countries, this encouraged companies to set-up, as products could be
   made cheaply, leading to greater profits.
2. Trade unions were weak in China, resulting in many companies
   attempting to pay below the minimum wage and making workers work
   long hours. This led to greater production and profits.
3. Companies such as transnationals were given tax breaks, this
   encouraged companies to set-up.
4. There were fewer environmental laws in China, this meant that
   industries could operate more cheaply, resulting in bigger profits.
5. The government placed subsidies on exports; $1 billion was set aside
   each year to reduce the cost of the goods exported, resulting in more
   being sold and therefore increasing job opportunities.

Question 17

Development indicators in an emerging country:

Answer 17

1. Emerging countries are categorised as having a rapidly improving
   quality of life.
2. In general, the population is getting richer, due to higher wages.
3. This means the governments of these countries have more money to
   invest in infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, which also
   improves quality of life.
4. From the table it is clear to see that Mexico (an emerging country), has
   significantly improved development indicators.
5. This has resulted in a HDI score for Mexico, which is much closer to the UK

Question 18

The key features of emerging countries:

Answer 18

1. Emerging countries are characterised by having a large % of workers in secondary
   industries (manufacturing).
2. Emerging countries have seen mechanisation of primary activities such as farming,
   in rural areas, so a reduction in jobs in the primary sector.
3. This has allowed people to move to cities, to work in the manufacturing sector, where wages are often higher