2.4-2.6 - What's holding Malawi back and How do countries develop? Flashcards
Malawi is landlocked. How does this affect its development?
It has no coastline meaning that it has no port so getting supplies in and out of the country (importing or exporting) is difficult. Reaching the coast involves taking goods by train and the train line is thin and unstable meaning that goods can’t be transported if the rail line is damaged. Also, transporting goods by train is slow and expensive. This means supplies often can’t be transported meaning low income.
Malawi has rural isolation. How does this affect its development?
85% of Malawi’s population lives in rural areas and with poor infrastructure, it can take a while to get anywhere. The roads are mostly dirt meaning it can take several hours to travel 20km to local places during rainy season. When there are floods people (mostly farmers) are cut off and can’t earn an income.
Malawi is living with a changing climate. How does this affect its development?
Climate change is causing water shortages because of increasing evaporation as temperatures rise. Also, there are food shortages as variable rainfall and increased drought cause crop failure. Rainfall has been lower in Malawi since 2000 compared to the 20th century. Rainy seasons have been shorter. When rains do arrive they are heavy causing damage to crops and housing leaving 10 000 families homeless and reducing Malawi’s maize harvest by 7%.
Malawi’s population is increasing. How does this affect its development?
In the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe, the water supply becomes contaminated during the rainy season because of surface run-off from built-up areas. Also, squatter settlements have rapidly grown and have no sanitation/waste management. This causes risk to human health as it contaminates rivers and dams. Vehicle fumes have reduced air quality - mainly diesel lorries - and traffic congestion has increased. This affects development as is causes fires burning agriculture (food supplies).
Terms of trade for Malawi.
Malawi’s yearly exports are greater than its yearly imports - it earns less than is spends - so Malawi needs to export more. It largely exports raw materials and buys them back as manufactured products.
Colonisation and cash crops in Malawi.
A lot of tea/coffee plantations from British colonisation still remain in British ownership but are owned by large TNCs. They hire labourers hoping to make some more money but they only get 1p/kg though the plantation owners argue that they also get housing, water, firewood and daily lunch. Over 80% of the pop. works in agriculture so the country depends on its cash crops (crops sold for cash). The crops are sold on global markets. However, since the markets are always changing, farmers never know how much money they’re going to earn.
Global trade and international relationships in Malawi.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is a global organisation that aims to make trade between wealthy and developing countries easier so the developing countries can increase wealth, jobs and investment. It also aims to make products cheaper by removing tariff for developing countries. However, Malawi exports raw coffee beans instead of roasting them which would get a better price. A lot of developed countries charge a tariff of 7.5% on roasted coffee beans but nothing on raw beans because its cheaper for coffee companies to roast them themselves instead of buy ready roasted beans from Malawi.
Rostow’s Theory
Rostow’s theory consisted of five stages: Traditional society, pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity, age of high mass consumption.
Rostow’s Theory: Traditional society
Most people work in agriculture, but produce little surplus (food they can sell). This is a ‘subsistence economy’.
Rostow’s Theory: Pre-conditions for take-off
There’s a shift to manufacturing. Trade increases profits, which are invested into new industries and infrastructure. Agricultural produces cash crops for sale.
Rostow’s Theory: Take-off
Growth is rapid. Investment and technology create new manufacturing industries. Take-off requires investment from profits earned from overseas trade.
Rostow’s Theory: Drive to maturity
A period of growth. Technology is used throughout the economy. Industries produce consumer goods.
Rostow’s Theory: Age of high mass consumption
A period of comfort. Consumers enjoy a wide range of goods. Societies choose how to spend wealth, either on military strength, on education and welfare, or on luxuries for the wealthy.
