Development Geography Flashcards
What is development?
Development is the measurement of the progression of the standard of living and the quality of life of a country’s population. It is the improvement of a country socially, economically, politically and environmentally.
What is a developing country?
Less developed industrial base and a low HDI relative to other counties
What is a developed country?
Highly developed in terms of their economy and their technological infrastructure in comparison with other countries
What is used to measure development?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Gross National Product (GNP)
Level of industrialisation
The general standard of living
Human Development Index (HDI)
What is a qualitative indicator?
Complex set of indices, measure the quality of life, World Happiness Report, Human Freedom Index, HDI
What is a quantitative indicator?
Numerical, easily measured, counted and quantified, gross national income, energy consumption, literary rates, school completion and internet access
What are the internal factors affecting development?
Political instability, population growth, the resource base, compounding problems, environmental degradation.
What are the external factors affecting developmnent?
-TNCS, Militarisation, Debt Burdens, legacy of history, trade imbalances and dependency on development assistance
Factor 1 (Political Instability)
Political instability- unstable or hostile political environment, protests, ethnical heterogeneity and government crisis- disrupts welfare, government spending infrastructure, social divisions, violence and destruction high-cost burden on governments, creating widespread and extreme poverty- slows the rate development to a halt, low standard of life and continuing the country’s lack of social and economic development
Factor 1 Example
-Somalia- 500 people were killed in a terrorist attack against the Somalian government by Islamic extremists ‘Al-Shabaab’. The event furthered the pre-existing instability, whilst also lowering the standard of living by an extensive amount, contributing to Somalia’s low HDI of 0.285.
Explain Factor 2 (Population Growth)
- A decline in mortality rates and an increase in births within a population
- Impacts the country’s ability to provide enough medical facilities, educational facilities, infrastructure and adequate food supplies to keep up- causes overcrowding, poverty, struggle for education and work, mortality, infant mortality lack of access to GPs
Factor 2 Example
India is incredibly overpopulated, with not enough systems and facilities in place to accomodate everyone, resulting 194 million people being undernourished and living on $2 a day, thus preventing positive development.
Factor 3 (Development Assistance)
Aid from other countries, institutions and non-governmental groups, donating financial assistance to improve economic and social development.
Bilateral aid- funds from developed to developing for housing, welfare, education, healthcare
NGM- donations to organisations assisting developing countries, such as World Vision.
Factor 3 Example
World Vision in Papua New Guinea has significantly reduced rates and treated the diseases of AIDS, tuberculosis and Water-borne illnesses
Factor 4 (Trade Imbalances)
Developing countries export their raw materials at a low cost and import manufactured goods at a high cost- lack of profit
- prices of products rise, resulting in further poverty, malnourishment, widespread unemployment and more individuals working in self-sustainable farming
- Low standard of living due to the degrading health and lowering incomes
