Case Study - Malawi Flashcards
1
Q
What are some physical and environmental factors holding Malawi back from developing?
A
- It is landlocked: This means that all of their imports and exports have to go on a single track rail line to Mozambique. This is a slow and expensive process
- 85% of Malawi’s population is rural. This means that it takes hours to travel to markets. If there is a flood, the farms are completely cut off.
- Climate change: Increased temperatures mean there are water shortages and food shortages. When rains do come they are intense and often destroy crops and cause flooding
- Increased pollution: Rapid economic growth has meant that rapid urban growth has taken place. Cities and town have no proper sanitation or waste management which means rivers and dams have been contaminated. Air pollution has also increases.
2
Q
What are some economic factors that are stopping Malawi from developing?
A
- It’s terms of trade: Simply, it spends more than it earns. This is because it exports primarily primary products and imports manufactured products. In 2014 it had a debt of $1.729 billion
- Colonisation and cash crops: Most plantations in Malawi are owned by large TNCs e.g Unilever. These TNCs often only pay their workers 1p per KG of tea. In supermarkets in the UK tea can sell for £8 per kg, 800x what workers get
- Global trade: Malawi exports raw coffee beans which sell for less than roasted ones as developed countries e.g U.S and E.U put tariffs of 7.5% on roasted coffee beans
