6.4 Flashcards
Global Economic Development
railroads
connected economic areas previously unconnected because of poor road service or because they were not near ports, facilitated economic expansion
Cecil Rhodes
founder of DeBeers Diamonds who dreamed of building a railroad that ran north to south across Africa, never succeeded
steamships
used to transport goods over waterways, more useful after better engines were developed
telegraph
a wire means of communication that allowed for instant communication once wires were laid
cash crops
crops grown in bulk to sell instead of to personally use
export economies
economies based on manufacturing goods from raw materials and then exporting them
cotton
a major cash crop controlled by the British, Americans, Indians, and Egyptians over the centuries
rubber
Charles Goodyear developed the process to refine it and make it usable. Because it was extremely difficult and destructive to harvest, it was produced by exploited and abused workers in South America and Central Africa until they could not produce enough. Then, the British took the seeds, and production was moved.
palm oil
used to oil machinery in England, and originated in West Africa. Very valuable.
Ivory
taken from elephant tusks, it was an extremely valuable commodity in England used for piano keys, billiard balls, and more
copper
produced in Chile and used for telegraph cables and electrical power lines
gold
valuable metal produced mainly by Australia and South Africa
diamond
valuable stone, a rush for it existed in South Africa
De Beers Mining Company
founded by Cecil Rhodes, it was the world’s largest diamond producer at the time
apartheid
racial segregation in South Africa during the 20th century
monocultures
lack of agricultural diversity
guano
Bat and bird excrement mined for use as fertilizer by indentured people in Chile and Peru
tin
used to make tin cans to put food products in, it was mined in the Dutch East Indies and surrounding areas
