Geography case studies Flashcards
River Regimes
Yukon: High seasonal variability, tundra/mountain climate, high flow in summer but frozen in winter, little human influence.
Amazon: tropical climate, high temperature&precipitation, low seasonal variability, many dams and HEP being built.
Murray-Darling: high variability, sub-tropical climate, mountainous climate leads to prolonged drought, is in rain shadow, water has been diverted from natural flows for farming.
Sahel, Africa
Has several of the poorest developing countries in the world in the region, is a very drought sensitive region, 85% of precipitation falls in the summer.
Human causes: climate change, rainfed agriculture, population is doubling every 20 to 30 years.
Effects: Lake Chad has reduced 10% in size, both Mali and Niger suffered droughts in 2005 and 2010, crops struggle to grow, 80% of drylands in Sahel has suffered from environmental deterioration from over-cultivation.
Storm Desmond (2015)
Caused by a deep Atlantic low-pressure system and position of jet streams.
Effects: 341.3mm of rainfall in 24 hours, 5200 homes flooded, road and rail systems disrupted for several days, insurance bills of more than $4.4billion, reduced house prices, eroded the banks and beds of the river, destroyed plants and agriculture, 2 deaths, landslides occurred in many landslides, 50,000 left without power, 1000’s force to evacuate, 81mph strongest gust.
Califiorna Drought
Is an issue for 40,000,000 people, has high droughts, reservoir levels only 77% of normal levels in 2016. 11 of the 15 years between 2000 and 2015 were drought years, lower surface runoff and soil moisture levels.
Cold War
Different political views: USA (Capitalist - democracy), USSR (communist - dictatorship), Population in 1990: Both around 290,000.
Both are self-sufficient in physical resources.
Economic system - Free Market (USA) vs Centrally Planned (USSR)
Allies - Western Europe, Japan, South Korea (USA) vs Eastern Europe (USSR)
Military: World’s largest, most powerful air force, also has a large nuclear arsenal (USA). Large army, nuclear weapons, outdated weapons (USSR).
Land: 3rd Largest (USA), Largest (USSR)
Space Race between nations - Who would be first?
USSR collapsed, mostly due to its smaller economic size.
London Docklands
Fall: Closed in the 1970’s, as the port couldn’t fit larger boats, 60% unemployment in some areas, high deprivation and ethnic tension led to riots in the 1980’s. 100,000 people left between 1971 and 1981, derelict warehouses.
Rise: Private sector put in charge that bypassed local councils, DLR: opened in 1987, cost £73 million, now operates at full capacity.
Limehouse Link: Connects Docklands to Central London.
Jubilee line extension finished in 2000.
Canary Wharf had 5.9 milllion2 feet of office and retail space. (remained somewhat empty until Jubilee Line). 100,000 workers by 2005.
BRIC’S
China: Has 2nd largest GDP, powerful manufacturing economy, growing military and technology power.
Cons: ageing population, environmental problems, excess demand for resources, unwilling to engage in global problems.
India: Youthful population, global leader in IT technology,
Cons: Widespread poverty, poor water infrastructure, lack of water resources.
Brazil: Huge natural resources, farming potential, modern economic structure
Cons: economic fluctuates, limited military strength
Russia: large nuclear armed military, large oil and gas reserve
Cons: difficult relations, ageing populations.
Japan: 3rd largest GDP, technologically advanced economy, global TNC’s
Cons: ageing and declining population, slow economic growth since 1990, hazard prone
Mexico: Advanced economy but high crime and corruption
Nigeria: High population and large oil reserves but high poverty and internal conflict.
Arctic oil and gas
Has 30% of the world’ undiscovered reserves. Different countries claim territory within the arctic circle, Military patrols have increased since 2007, only few resources are currently exploited.
Countries Involved: Russia, Canada, USA and EU
South China Sea
Disputed islands claimed by China and US allies, China has island settlements and has built artificial islands. Chins is giving policy ideas of a “nine-dashed line” and “2nd island chain”, which would give it a lot of land.
China’s relationship with Africa
Exploit China’s resources: Copper ore (Zambia), Cotton (DRC), Crude Oil (Angola, Chad, Sudan).
China has invested in HEP, railway, ports, roads. Trade is worth $200 billion.
Challenges: lack of investment in countries without resources. environmental degradation, jobs done by Chinese migrant labour, primary goods are cheap.
Conflict in the Middle East
Religious tensions between Shia and Shani groups. Has 80% of the world’s oil.
Colonial powers drew borders - didn’t separate communities and cultures.
USA: Israel, Arab. China: Syria, Iran.
Invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan to remove Hussain and the Taliban.
Refugee Crisis. Ongoing conflict between Palestine and Isarel.
Three Gorges Dam
Built to generate HEP and control flooding. Heights of 175m. Finished in 2009.
Pros: reduces coal use by 150 million tonnes a year, electricity for 60 million homes
Cons: displaced 1.3 million people, cost $31.3 billion, causes landslides, water pollution, cracks in structure, decomposing vegetation produces methane.
Water Transfer
Done as there is excess demand in the North due to its high population, industry and agriculture. Took 50 years to construct.
Cons: forced 345,000 to relocate, doesn’t solve water pollution, prone to attacks, cost $70 billion.
Desalination
Takes water from the Mediterranean sea and turns saltwater into freshwater.
Estimated to produce 1,100,000,000m3 of freshwater by 2030.
Pros: Could provide 70% of domestic supplies, supply is predictable and reliable, seawater availability is unlimited, supplies are not dependent on climate and politics, costs are reducing.
Cons: production leaves toxic saline’s behind.
Aboriginals in Australia
Under British rule until the 1970’s. Children stolen from their homes and trained to be “civilised”. Life expectancy is 10 years below Australia’s average.
Make up 3% of the population
Factors: Poor housing, low education, high unemployment, discrimination, hard to get their problems recognised, use of drugs and alcohol abuse, heavy smoking, lack of medical care, high chronic disease. 18.4% unemployment, 35% less weekly wage.
Saudi Arabia vs France Spending
Saudi Arabia: Oil exports is its main economy with economy controlled by royal elite.
Healthcare: State-funded and high quality
Welfare: only a third of Saudi’s are in work, only 20% of women work, benefits are £400 for 12 months, pensions are £300 a month.
Education: highly religious, low on science and technology, teachers are poorly trained, low spending.
France: health is state-funded, residents have to pay £150 in insurance a month, 4th highest spending as a % of GDP.
Welfare: high payments for welfare and pension. high education spending (more than London). High government spending - 56% of GDP.
India vs China Rights
India: Religious freedom but violence and intolerance between groups, freedom of speech but protests are common, political and press freedom, lack of LGBT rights, Caste system is controversial.
China: lack of religious freedom, internet censorship, only one political party, media is monitored.
Rwanda
2 groups of Hutu (85%) and Tutsi (15%). Was initially dominated by Tutsi.
Hutu then decided to eliminate the Tutsi. In April 1994 - 800,000 were massacred. Rebel group invaded the country and regained control by July.
2 million Hutu fled. There are still tensions today.
Does have a very good gender equality record.
Russia Conflict with Ukraine
Stopped supplying after saying Ukraine hadn’t paid off a £3.3 billion debt.
70% of Russia’s gas to Europe is carried through Ukraine
Russia building pipelines such as Nord stream that bypass Ukraine.
Biofuels in Brazil
Have used flex-fuel vehicles. Produces 930,000 barrels a day. Industry is worth $50 billion a year. employs 1.34 million people. Generates 16% of Brazil’s energy.
Is more expensive than fossil fuels, so consumption depends on price of both fossil fuels and biofuels.
River Nile Conflict
Runs through 11 countries, is 6700km long, Blue Nile makes up 70% of discharge and White Nile makes up 30% of discharge. Population expected to double by 2030.
Egypt threatened any country upstream that threaten supply.
1929 agreement gave Egypt right to majority of water and control of infrastructure. The agreement was signed by colonial powers. Ethiopia refused to recognise legitimacy. Unfair allocation.
NBI agreed in 1999 but little was achieved. In 2010, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda signed a new treaty but Egypt and Sudan opposed.
Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania have built dams and HEP.
Ethiopia Conflict
Has a controversial Dam building program.
Gilgel Gibe III Dam built between 2008 and 2016, costing $1.8 billion.
Dam will prevent flooding downstream for 200,000 who used it.
Threatens livelihoods of ethnic tribes. Stops irrigation.
China
Reasons to move to China: market-based economy, free trade, cheap and huge labour force, EPZ’s zone, good transport links, communication.
Opened up its economy in 1978. Joined the WTO in 2001
Pros: 680 million less in poverty since 1980 (reduction of 84% to 10%), workers can earn up to $10 a day, economic growth rate of 9.4% between 1978 and 2012, literacy rate growth of 20% to 84% between 1950 and 2015, many infrastructure projects such as 3 gorges dam and HSR link between Shenzhen-Shanghai-Beijing. 22,000 km of high-speed rail, TNC’s invest in education and training.
Cons: Work is long and repetitive (iPhone workers work 70 hours a week), 40% of farmland degraded, 85% of Shanghai’s river was undrinkable in 2015, air pollution was 20x the WHO’s maximum levels in Beijing, 50% of vertebrae’s lost since 1970, according to the WWF, 50% of rivers and lakes and 40% of groundwater polluted.
Guandong province
Close to Hong Kong, population of 94.5 million, is a SEZ zone encourage free trade and FDI, TNC’s such as Siemens, Nokia, Samsung, Sony.
Cons: Acid rain problem, 75% of city has no sewage treatment, pearl river is now biologically dead, substandard working conditions, workers live in poor dormitories, are beginning to be outcompeted by areas with even lower costs.
