Development Flashcards
Definition of development
No agreed definition
Use certain standards to indicate the advancement of a particular area
Most geographers accept development to consider the quality of life for people living in a particular area. Takes into consideration wealth, aid, healthcare, education, poverty, infrastructure, polical lamdscape, economics and environment
Economic measures of development
GNP per capita
Percentage of people employed in primary structure - UK 2% Vietnam 73%
Measures the total economic value of all of the goods and services provided in a country through a year divided by the number of people who live in that country.
Worked out in US dollars for comparison
Higher GNP more developed a country said to be
Positive of GNI per capita
Easy comparison between countries
Use a common currency as benchmark
Increasingly complicated to work out how much money is earned in a country per year especially wi global markets
Changes in currency rates - purchasing power of money can vary
Fails to highly distribution within country
Social measures development Healthcare IMR Education Diet
Life expectancy UK 78 UGANDA 41
IMR shows importance of post natal and ante natal care.
Composite measure of development - human development index
Three measures - life expectancy, education and gross national income per capita
Between zero and 1 - closer you are to 1 the more developed you are
Positive and negative issues of HDI
Positive -takes into account of both social and economic data include figures on health and education
More rounded and realistic measure compared with merely social or economic indicators
Information updated annually
Negative issues - some argue wealth has too much importance within the HDI and is can influence ranking on table
Some suggest it’s too simplified on an approach to measuring development and should implement other factors behind education GNI life expectancy to get a more rounded picture of what it’s like to live in a particular country eg environmental issues
Second composite measure of development
Physical quality of life index
Uses life expectancies at year 1, IMR and basic literacy rate each having equal weighing
Values range from 0-100.
Developed as an alternative to HDI but UN HDI became more widely used.
Often criticised cause 3 measures are very similar and depend on each other.
Colonialism advantages
European countries spent money investing in infrastructure of heir conquered lands eg roads rails hospitals schools. Helped to improve standards of living. Exotic foods and materials were exported back to home country diversifying diets and fashions
Colonialism disadvantages
European countries often ruled by force and were ruthless with heir decisions
Forced people to fight in their armies taxed them and took away their valuable assets.
What is globalisation
Refers to the world becoming more interconnected and interdependent
People around the world becoming a lot more connected through the development in technology, communications and the Internet
Key features of globalisation
Brought world economies closer together
Trade across world has grown quickly with many LEDCS increasing industrial output
Profits made by multinational companies often flow back to head offices in LEDCS and rarely funds remain in LEDCS. However this is changing due to financials and tax rules introduced
