Geography - Development EQ2

Question 1

What are the factors influencing the level of development in countries?

Answer 1

Social: Educational levels, role of women, health, rate of population growth
Political: Governance, political stability, political ideology
Economic: Economic structure, openness to trade & investment, foreign debt
Environmental: Location, presence of natural resources
Demographic: Population structure
Historical: Past colonialism

Question 2

What are the social factors?

Answer 2

Level of education of population, provision and accessibility of healthcare, role of women, rate of population growth

Question 3

How does level of education of population affect development?

Answer 3

• level of education –> income earned –> GNI + SOL
• inability to afford high level education/lack of availability of institutions offering tertiary education (stemmed from) lack of resources to train teachers and built educational facilities
• creates a workforce that is unable to take on higher-skilled jobs, limiting their income potential

Question 4

How does provision and accessibility of healthcare affect development?

Answer 4

• affects the life expectancy and productivity
• poor access to healthcare –> more people who are ill more often/ shorter life expectancy –> low quality of life + less productive workforce –> limited revenue generated for country

Question 5

How does role of women affect development?

Answer 5

• stemmed from social norms/cultural beliefs –> affect women’s ability to contribute to the development of society and the contribution to the nation’s economy
• in LICs: limited schooling and working opportunities –> largely child-bearing and taking care of the family –> unable to contribute to the formal economy –> less revenue generated
• less schooling –> less knowledge and ability of family planning –> higher birth rates

Question 6

How does rate of population growth affect development?

Answer 6

• some families have large sizes as their children would be farm hands
• resources spent in providing food, healthcare and education for children –> hinder development –> less resources for developing other aspects in the country

Question 7

What are the political factors?

Answer 7

Governance, political stability, political ideology

Question 8

How does governance affect development?

Answer 8

• a good government will more evenly distribute economic benefits and improve the quality of life
• many LICs have corrupt governments –> raises operating costs through bribes –> impedes business development
• reduces public trust –> reduces the ability of the government to implement developmental policies

Question 9

How does political stability affect development?

Answer 9

• stable gov attract TNCs
• implement favourable industrial policies and secure their investments
• political instability and civil wars cause investors to be worried that their investments may be lost
• resources diverted to fund wars –> other areas cannot develop fully
• suffer from effects of past conflicts e.g. land mines

Question 10

How does political ideology affect development?

Answer 10

• affects gov’s stance toward foreign investments and trade
• communist countries develop slower than capitalist countries

Question 11

What are the economic factors?

Answer 11

Economic structure, foreign debt, availability of capital

Question 12

How does economic structure affect development?

Answer 12

• primary industries have low and unstable income (agricultural generates a lower revenue
• large pop. in LICs work in primary industries; lack education qualifications (low no. of school years) - low no. can work in secondary + tertiary
• HICs - many in sec + tertiary - higher value goods and services - higher revenue (due to schooling - skills)

Question 13

How does foreign debt affect development?

Answer 13

• some take debts for development
• many LICs’ revenues go into paying debts

Question 14

How does availability of capital affect development?

Answer 14

• influences the ability of the country to acquire necessary technology and
  equipment to help a country develop
• many LICs lack capital to develop necessary infrastructure (e.g. roads, transport) for industrialisation
• lack capital for social development (e.g. amenities), e.g. safe drinking water and sanitation

Question 15

What are the environmental factors?

Answer 15

Geographical location, climatic conditions, natural disasters, availability of natural resources

Question 16

How does geographical location affect development?

Answer 16

• can encourage or hinder access to international trade
• coastal locations profit better than land-locked locations as trade is mostly done by shipping
• enables them to export goods easily, facilitating the country’s economic development

Question 17

How does climatic conditions affect development?

Answer 17

Climatic conditions would affect agriculture, farming and the spread of diseases. Countries with
more favourable climatic conditions that are less harsh tend to develop faster.

Question 18

How does natural disasters affect development?

Answer 18

• difficult to develop as investments may be destroyed during the disasters
• resources spent on rebuilding and repairing damage, less funds available for infrastructure development

Question 19

How does availability of natural resources affect development?

Answer 19

• countries with natural resources develop faster
• countries can export them and use earnings for development
• however, it is not guaranteed as ownership of the resources may be held by a small number of rich individuals, benefitting a small group of people

Question 20

How do demographic factors affect development?

Answer 20

• high birth rates –> rapid pop. growth –> overpopulated –> hard to development
• high young dependency ratio, resources mostly spent on their basic needs - less on development
• those with large % of of economically active age group can develop rapidly under favourable conditions

Question 21

How do historical factors affect development?

Answer 21

Colonialism
- when colonised countries are left behind, there is a leadership void
- some infrastructure is built while colonised, social factors neglected
- significant internal political conflicts faced (beliefs, religion, ethnicity, tribe)